Surgical tele-mentoring using a robotic platform: initial experience in a military institution

Area of Science:

• Robotic Surgery
• Surgical Education
• Telemedicine

Background:

• Surgical tele-mentoring utilizes technology to extend surgical expertise, aiming to enhance patient care and outcomes.
• The study explored the potential benefits of tele-mentoring on surgeon satisfaction, procedural skills, and decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the safety and efficacy of remote surgical consultation via robotic technology.
• To evaluate the impact of tele-mentoring on the perceptions of surgical teams.

Main Methods:

• A prospective feasibility study involving robotic-assisted surgeries across general, urology, gynecology, and thoracic disciplines.
• Pre-operative orientation and post-operative evaluations were conducted for surgical teams and mentors.
• Data collected from 67 paired surveys and 15 mentor surveys across 15 cases.

Main Results:

• All surveyed participants reported positive effects from tele-mentoring integration (p < 0.05).
• Uninterrupted audio-visual connectivity with no perceived latency was confirmed.
• Participant perceptions of leadership support were varied.

Conclusions:

• Surgical tele-mentoring is a safe and effective method for remote consultations using robotic surgery technology.
• Operative teams perceived tele-mentoring as highly beneficial, highlighting its potential to overcome geographic limitations.
• Further research is recommended to optimize tele-mentoring for diverse clinical scenarios, including emergencies and pandemics.