• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SAGES

Reimagining surgical care for a healthier world

  • Home
    • COVID-19 Annoucements
    • Search
    • SAGES Home
    • SAGES Foundation Home
  • About
    • Who is SAGES?
    • SAGES Mission Statement
    • Advocacy
    • Strategic Plan, 2020-2023
    • Committees
      • Request to Join a SAGES Committee
      • SAGES Board of Governors
      • Officers and Representatives of the Society
      • Committee Chairs and Co-Chairs
      • Full Committee Rosters
      • SAGES Past Presidents
    • Donate to the SAGES Foundation
    • Awards
      • George Berci Award
      • Pioneer in Surgical Endoscopy
      • Excellence In Clinical Care
      • International Ambassador
      • IRCAD Visiting Fellowship
      • Social Justice and Health Equity
      • Excellence in Community Surgery
      • Distinguished Service
      • Early Career Researcher
      • Researcher in Training
      • Jeff Ponsky Master Educator
      • Excellence in Medical Leadership
      • Barbara Berci Memorial Award
      • Brandeis Scholarship
      • Advocacy Summit
      • RAFT Annual Meeting Abstract Contest and Awards
  • Meetings
    • NBT Innovation Weekend
    • SAGES Annual Meeting
      • 2023 Scientific Session Call For Abstracts
      • 2023 Emerging Technology Call For Abstracts
    • CME Claim Form
    • Industry
      • Advertising Opportunities
      • Exhibit Opportunities
      • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Future Meetings
    • Past Meetings
      • SAGES 2022
      • SAGES 2021
    • Related Meetings Calendar
  • Join SAGES!
    • Membership Benefits
    • Membership Applications
      • Active Membership
      • Affiliate Membership
      • Associate Active Membership
      • Candidate Membership
      • International Membership
      • Medical Student Membership
    • Member News
      • Member Spotlight
      • Give the Gift of SAGES Membership
  • Patients
    • Healthy Sooner – Patient Information for Minimally Invasive Surgery
    • Patient Information Brochures
    • Choosing Wisely – An Initiative of the ABIM Foundation
    • All in the Recovery: Colorectal Cancer Alliance
    • Find a SAGES Member
  • Publications
    • SAGES Stories Podcast
    • SAGES Clinical / Practice / Training Guidelines, Statements, and Standards of Practice
    • Patient Information Brochures
    • TAVAC – Technology and Value Assessments
    • Surgical Endoscopy and Other Journal Information
    • SAGES Manuals
    • SCOPE – The SAGES Newsletter
    • COVID-19 Annoucements
    • Troubleshooting Guides
  • Education
    • OpiVoid.org
    • SAGES.TV Video Library
    • Safe Cholecystectomy Program
      • Safe Cholecystectomy Didactic Modules
    • Masters Program
      • SAGES Facebook Program Collaboratives
      • Acute Care Surgery
      • Bariatric
      • Biliary
      • Colorectal
      • Flexible Endoscopy (upper or lower)
      • Foregut
      • Hernia
      • Robotics
    • Educational Opportunities
    • HPB/Solid Organ Program
    • Courses for Residents
      • Advanced Courses
      • Basic Courses
    • Video Based Assessments (VBA)
    • Robotics Fellows Course
    • MIS Fellows Course
    • Facebook Livestreams
    • Free Webinars For Residents
    • SMART Enhanced Recovery Program
    • SAGES OR SAFETY Video
    • SAGES at Cine-Med
      • SAGES Top 21 MIS Procedures
      • SAGES Pearls
      • SAGES Flexible Endoscopy 101
      • SAGES Tips & Tricks of the Top 21
  • Opportunities
    • NEW-Area of Concentrated Training Seal (ACT)-Advanced Flexible Endoscopy-Coming Soon!
    • SAGES Fellowship Certification for Advanced GI MIS and Comprehensive Flexible Endoscopy
    • Multi-Society Foregut Fellowship Certification
    • SAGES Research Opportunities
    • Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery
    • Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery
    • Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy
    • Job Board
    • SAGES Go Global: Global Affairs and Humanitarian Efforts
  • Search
    • Search All SAGES Content
    • Search SAGES Guidelines
    • Search the Video Library
    • Search the Image Library
    • Search the Abstracts Archive
  • Store
    • “Unofficial” Logo Products
  • Log In

Use of a low-cost telementoring solution for the introduction of a new surgical procedure; Preliminary results.

Etai M. Bogen, MD1, Petter F. Gjessin, MD, PhD1, Nicholas E. Bruns, MD2, Line L. Warth, PhD3, Hiten R.H. Patel, MD, PhD4, Rolv-Ole Lindsetmo, MD, PhD, MPH1, Todd A. Ponsky2. 1Department of Digestive Surgery, University Hospital of Northern Norway, Tromso, Norway, 2Department of Pediatric Surgery, Akron Children’s Hospital Akron, Ohio, USA, 3Norwegian Center for Telemedicine and Integrated Care, Tromso, Norway, 4Department of Urology, University Hospital of Northern Norway, Norway

Objective of the technology or device:

Learning and mastering a new surgical technique, especially in minimally invasive surgery, is challenging due to a complex learning curve. Telementoring is an emerging field that might improve the quality and efficiency of surgical education. Most existing surgical telementoring solutions are costly and technologically demanding to setup. Our novel telementoring technology provides a platform for delivering surgical education and training in a low-cost and safe manner. We aimed to study the feasibility and educational potential of this technology as part of the introduction of a new surgical procedure.

Description of the technology and method of its use or application:

The current telementoring technology/software is based on an HIPAA compliant in-house system developed and tested in over 25 previous cases. Video and audio data are transmitted over Internet (Wi-Fi) or mobile (4G/LTE/3G) lines. The software and hardware solution captures the laparoscopic image directly from the laparoscopic camera. Real–time image manipulations (telestration) can be performed by the mentor on the touch screen of a tablet to facilitate guidance of the trainee. Freehand drawing over a live video stream enables the mentor to visually and accurately define anatomical locations and planes of dissection. In addition, an external camera allows the mentor to pan, tilt and zoom, simultaneously giving an overview of the external operating field. Total cost of the hardware used in the current setup is approximately 1000USD.

One resident surgeon with no previous experience in laparoscopic non-mesh pediatric inguinal hernia repair was mentored by an expert pediatric surgeon according to a structured learning program. Upon completion of systematic core training including a demonstration video of the surgical procedure, simulation training on a surgical model and traditional hands-on mentoring during the initial cases, the mentor was able to step back and allow the trainee to operate under telementored supervision.

Preliminary results:

A total of 11 hernias (two bilateral cases) were operated in 9 patients ranging from 18 months to 9 years of age. Seven of the cases were performed using telementoring-assisted supervision. Four cases were telementored locally from within hospital and three cases were then telementored over a distance of 6152 km (Akron, Ohio, USA – Tromsø, Norway). The average operating time was 40 minutes. No technical or clinical complications occurred. The image and sound quality was satisfactory with latency of 170-300ms. The annotation tool was utilized by the mentor throughout the training period and was found, both by the mentor and the trainee, to effectively facilitate and improve the precision level of the surgical guidance. The trainee was able to reach a satisfactory skill level as assessed subjectively by the expert mentor.

Conclusions and future directions:

The current study demonstrates that our low-cost telementoring technology provides a valuable asset to surgical training that is feasible and safe, perhaps smoothing the learning curve for new procedures. Future studies are needed to objectively assess the educational potential and viability of telementoring in more complex laparoscopic surgical procedures.

// This abstract will have a video as well //

125

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp
  • Reddit

Related

« Return to SAGES 2015 abstract archive

Our Mission

Innovate, educate and collaborate to improve patient care.

Recently, on SAGES…

Critical View of Safety (CVS) Challenge QR Code

The SAGES Critical View of Safety Challenge – Donate Your Lap Chole Videos!

The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons is hosting the first Artificial Intelligence Data Challenge conducted by surgeons. The aim of this challenge is to generate a large and diverse dataset of laparoscopic cholecystectomy videos, annotated with respect to the subcomponents of the Critical View of Safety (CVS). Computer scientists from all over the […]

Respuesta de SAGES al Estudio NordICC sobre el beneficio de las colonoscopias de detección

SAGES desea aclarar los resultados del estudio NordICC y colocarlos en contexto de los esfuerzos de varias agencias nacionales para reducir el riesgo de cáncer colorrectal – la segunda causa de muerte por cáncer más frecuente en los Estados Unidos-, mediante la promoción de la detección y tratamiento oportuno de las lesiones.

SAGES Response to NordICC Study Regarding Benefit of Screening Colonoscopies

The NordICC Study recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine and widely reported on by media outlets has raised questions regarding the benefit of screening colonoscopy in lowering the risk of colorectal cancer and cancer-related deaths among otherwise healthy and symptom-free men and women aged 55 to 64. Provocative headlines and commentaries have […]

Contact SAGES

Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons
11300 W. Olympic Blvd Suite 600
Los Angeles, CA 90064 USA
webmaster@sages.org
Tel: (310) 437-0544

Find Us Around the Web!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Important Links

SAGES 2023 Meeting Information

Healthy Sooner: Patient Information

SAGES Guidelines, Statements, & Standards of Practice

SAGES Manuals

 

  • taTME Study Info
  • Foundation
  • SAGES.TV
  • MyCME
  • Educational Activities

Copyright © 2023 Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons