In the last 25 years, technological advances have played a leading role in our society. Enterprises like Gmail, Google or YouTube, are some well-known examples. However, the main technological advance in surgery has been the development of minimally invasive surgery. This approach improves patient care by potentially offering more effective treatment modalities in selected diseases. However, the innovation continues to accelerate, and we have to pay attention to what is coming next.
Web-based and mobile knowledge sources have emerged as the new solution for providing on-demand surgical education. Online platforms are becoming the perfect tool to train to the highest standards. Beyond educational resources, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are increasingly gaining attention in the field of medicine. The possibility of supplement or replace the real world with this technology allows for improved healthcare education. Moreover, and more importantly, both Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality enable a better understanding of anatomical relationships, and thus the safety of the patient is increased.
Finally, fluorescence imaging has been recognized as one of the most promising technologies. One of the most explicit examples is its use for real-time intraoperative evaluation of bowel perfusion in colorectal surgery, potentially decreasing the anastomotic leak rate. Although high-quality studies are needed, many surgeons routinely use fluorescence angiography for all colorectal anastomoses.
In this lecture, Dr. Manish Chand provides an update on the role of the new technologies in surgery. He mainly focuses on online platforms, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and fluorescence imaging.
