Retro: the first trans-Atlantic surgery

We have already covered the Lindbergh operation with a Zeus robot back in time, but there is some space for nostalgia around new year. Recently, I came across the press release of the world's first trans-Atlantic telesurgery: “OPERATION LINDBERGH - The Surgical Act Crosses the Atlantic!" It provided some new details about the event and the preceding experiments, but more interestingly, it gave a list of Future Challenges that are still very much applicable after 12 years: 

"This technological sea change in the world of surgery ushers in a host of possible future developments:

• To start with, it makes possible collaborative telesurgery, one of the most positive concrete applications of "globalization".
• It also revolutionizes the concept of surgical training, since a sort of "umbilical cord" could be created between a young surgeon and more experienced teacher-surgeons.
• It would also make it possible for developing nations to benefit from the expertise of world-renowned surgeons in order to enhance care in their country.
• This breakthrough also makes it possible to imagine future surgical procedures being done in space.
• Finally, by combining virtual reality techniques with pre-operatory simulations, this could lead to an entirely new era of semi-automated or even automated telesurgery."

You can learn more about the Lindbergh Operation on WebSurge.

Image credit: IRCAD