PCH team joins Australian surgeon for first live virtual reality transcontinental hernia surgery

Sunday, April 17, 2016
World's first live virtual reality transcontinental hernia surgery in progress at Putnam County Hospital. (Courtesy photo)

On Tuesday, April 12 a surgical team at Putnam County Hospital performed the world's first live virtual reality (VR) transcontinental hernia surgery working with Dr. Hugh McGregor, located in Brisbane, Australia, as the virtual assistant.

Dr. Paul Szotek, who did the first surgery in Indiana using Google Glass technology in February 2014, broadcast the hernia surgery live using a special 360-degree camera that allows viewers to experience the surgery in an immersive virtual 3D environment.

"The beauty of this," Dr. Szotek said, "is that the cost is minimal, only requiring a smart phone and a viewing device, like Google Cardboard, that is often under $20."

Simultaneously, the surgical team broadcast the hernia surgery live using Google Glass and the ExpertEye telementoring platform from AMA XPERTEYE Inc. (www.ama.bzh), a French-based technology company.

Using the combined Google Glass and VR technology, Dr. McGregor was virtually transported 8,947 miles from Brisbane, Australia, to the operating room in Greencastle as the virtual assistant.

Dr. McGregor viewed the case on his VR headset, participated in the discussion of the case, and telestrated images that were sent to Dr. Szotek on a computer monitor in the operating room.

"This type of technology will open the door for isolated remote surgeons to invite experts into their operating rooms and provide specialist opinions and mentoring that might not otherwise be afforded in such locations," Dr. Szotek said.

In addition, Dr. Szotek believes the future of surgical training at all levels will be influenced by virtual reality, augmented reality and telementoring.

The utilization of such emerging wearable technologies may allow surgeons to experience and perfect new techniques from a global mentor pool prior to entering the operating room and hopefully enhance patient outcomes in the future through improved preparedness.

Dr. Szotek recently joined the expanding surgery team at Putnam Surgical Specialties, located inside Putnam County Hospital in Greencastle.

Dr. Szotek joins Drs. Robin Mendelsohn, L.G. Palanca and Frank Lloyd in offering surgical care close to home.

For more information, persons may call Putnam Surgical Specialties at 658-2710.

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