Video conferencing solutions at the forefront of remote surgery Since the invention of the telephone in the 19th Century, doctors have been communicating and consulting with each other over long distances. Remote surgery, also known as telesurgery allows a doctor to perform surgery on a patient without physically being in the same location. It is essentially a form of telepresence involving a robotic surgical system that comprises one or more arms (controlled by the surgeon), a master controller (console), and a sensory system that provides the user with feedback. Remote surgery combines various elements of robotics, cutting edge communication technology such as high-speed data connections and elements of management information systems. While the field of robotic surgery is fairly well established, most robots are controlled by surgeons at the location of the surgery. So this is essentially advanced telecommuting for surgeons, where the physical distance between the surgeon and the patient is immaterial. It promises to allow the expertise of specialized surgeons to be available to patients worldwide, without the need for patients to travel beyond their local hospital.
Telemedicine has the potential to reduce differences in the lives of people, especially those living in remote areas who are away from hospitals and as a result are deprived of quality and timely medical care. The spectrum of technology used in telemedicine is broad, ranging from simple phones, faxes and emails, to satellite-based relay transfers and state-of-the-art computer and videoconferencing facilities. Video-conferencing (VC) is defined as a real-time, live, interactive program in which one set of participants are at one or more locations and the other set of participants are at another location. ​ Video conferencing solutions​ permits interaction, including audio and/or video, and possibly other modalities, between at least two sites.
The medical community is truly a global one, encompassing the brightest researchers, physicians, and professors from around the world. Sharing new practices, research findings, and pharmaceutical trials with one another is vital to the advancement of the medical field.
With ​ free video conferencing​ technology, these brilliant minds are able to collaborate in a more efficient and productive way than they could over the telephone. Videoconferencing has provided an answer to many of the problems faced by the medical community. With the world population increasing exponentially and limited medical resources, this technology makes it easy to stretch valuable resources to effectively meet the growing demand for health care worldwide.