Reaching the rural world through robotic surgical programs

BACKGROUND: For patients living in rural and remote areas, access to advanced surgical care is frequently limited or even nonexistent. Establishment of telementoring and remote telesurgical networks would enable patients in these areas to benefit from the knowledge of expert surgeons in distant urban centres. METHODS: Literature review and personal experience. RESULTS: Telementoring provides a convenient and effective means for community surgeons to learn new surgical techniques. Although still in its infancy, initial experience with routine clinical use of remote telepresence surgery indicates that it can be used to safely offer surgery to patients in a rural community. However, a number of technical, ethical, and legal challenges still exist. CONCLUSIONS: As telecommunications and robotic technology evolve, remote telesurgical programs will play an increasing role in providing high-quality surgical care in rural communities and may even facilitate emergency surgical care in remote areas in the absence of a local physician.