Television operation

2001/09/20 Elhuyar Zientzia

• Telekomunikazioak
• Teknologia
• Medikuntza

The patient has been a 68-year-old woman. The gallbladder had to be removed, an operation that is now simple. The woman was in the operating room of a hospital in Strasbourg and the surgeon, however, in New York, 7,000 kilometers from there.

The technique used, laparoscopy by computer, is also common in the fall of the gallbladder. In this technique, the computer controls robotic arms under the orders of the surgeon. In addition, some simple commands, such as "up" or "down", can be performed through the voice. Laparoscopy also uses tiny cameras that have been inserted into the patient. His images have the same quality as those of television.

The first tests were performed two months ago with six pigs. Now is the first time this tool has been used to operate a person from outside the Atlantic Ocean. Orders were issued in New York and arrived in Strasbourg by optical fiber in a very short time. The biggest problem of the technique is the speed of communication, since a second delay in signal can be very dangerous.

Doctors try more complex interventions. According to them, this new technique allows difficult interventions anywhere in the world without the need for expert assistance. Surgeons from around the world could also be trained with this system.