Articel intro - New telesugery guidelines

World Journal of Surgery published the "Expert Consensus‐Based Technical Guidelines for Remote Robotic‐Assisted Surgery and Procedures" by renowned expert, Yulun Wang, Martin Buehler, Shane Farritor, Yuman Fong, Mike Kijewski, Brian Miller, Bill Peine, Blair Whitney, Mike Yramategui and Jordana Bernard. 

"Major medtech and healthcare organizations have collaborated on technical guidelines to support the development of remote robotic surgery.

Announced this week and published in the World Journal of Surgery, the guidelines also serve as a sort of manifesto or mission statement.

The paper’s co-authors — representing Intuitive, Medtronic, Virtual Incision, Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Sovato, Medcrypt, and City of Hope — state a problem: “Access to surgical care remains one of the most pressing yet unsolved public health challenges. Surgical deserts—regions lacking adequate access to surgical care—are a well-documented global issue that affects both developed and developing countries.”

ABSTRACT 

Remote robotic‐assisted surgery and procedures offer significant potential to enhance access to surgical expertise, optimize patient outcomes, improve healthcare efficiency, reduce costs, and increase patient and provider satisfaction, aligning with the quintuple aim. By mitigating geographic barriers, addressing surgical deserts, and reducing travel burdens for surgeons, pa- tients, and their families, remote robotic‐assisted surgery and procedures can substantially expand access to high‐quality health care. The safe and effective implementation of remote procedures depends on the availability of robust, surgical‐grade networks, reliable connectivity, and comprehensive cybersecurity measures to protect patient data. Seamless integration among remote‐ enabled robotic system interfaces, telepresence technologies, and facility‐level infrastructure is essential to ensure operational reliability and procedural success. These technical guidelines define the fundamental technical requirements to support the design, implementation, and scaling of safe, effective, and interoperable remote robotic‐assisted surgical and procedural pro- grams. As the field evolves, guidelines will be updated to reflect technological advancements, specifications, and emerging best practices. Complementary clinical and operational practice guidelines will work synergistically with technical guidelines to support the global expansion and market adoption of remote programs 

Source: WJS, Medical Design