PS324 - Telesurgery: The Next Frontier is Here

In 2025, 12 robotic operations (with FDA approval and IRB approval) via telesurgery were performed from the United States to Angola in which the surgeon operated from the console in the United States while the patient and an assisting team were across the ocean in Angola. This new capability raises significant issues in areas such as regulation, ethics, education, safety, technology, credentialing, internet security, reimbursement, and consent. It also may increase access to treatment for patients in remote areas, not only in surgical specialties but in other procedural specialties as well. This session will focus on the advent of telesurgery, its current and future potential implications, as well as requirements going forward for safe implementation of this technology.