Telemedicine and Plastic Surgery: A Pilot Study
Denis Souto Valente1, Luciano Silveira Eifler2, Lauro Aita Carvalho2
1Graduate Program in Medicine and Health Sciences, PUCRS School of Medicine (FAMED), Avenida Ipiranga 6681, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Telemedicine offers plastic surgeons a valuable remote learning tool. This study shows live surgical broadcasts are an effective educational method, enhancing surgical skills and knowledge access.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Plastic Surgery
- Telemedicine
Background:
- Telemedicine utilizes electronic media for remote medical data transmission.
- The study explores telemedicine's application in plastic surgery education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the utility of telemedicine in plastic surgery training.
- To assess the effectiveness of live surgical broadcasts as an educational tool.
Main Methods:
- 32 plastic surgeons were provided access to a real-time surgical stream.
- Participants completed a post-procedure questionnaire.
- Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Main Results:
- 27 surgeons (84.4%) attended the live online surgery.
- Over 96% rated website access and learning experience as good or excellent.
- 85.2% found the transmission quality good or excellent, and 92.6% felt better prepared to perform the surgery.
Conclusions:
- Telemedicine enhances educational access for plastic surgeons, especially those in remote areas.
- Live surgical broadcasts via telemedicine are effective for medical education and research.
- Participants expressed strong interest in future online surgical demonstrations.
More Related Videos
05:57A Teleoperated Robotic System-Assisted Percutaneous Transiliac-Transsacral Screw Fixation Technique
Published on: January 6, 2023
03:07Single-Port Robotic-assisted Transaxillary Breast-conserving Surgery: A Prospective, Single-arm, Non-randomized Phase IIa Clinical Trial
Published on: August 19, 2025