Remote surgery between U.S. and Argentina

Oct 4 2007

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, InTouch Health, and Hospital Privado Del Sur in Argentina, announce the success of one of the world's first surgeries using the Remote Presence Robot, RP-7.

With the assistance of Sinai Hospital bariatric surgeon Alex Gandsas, M.D., telementoring from more than 5,400 miles away, Sergio Cantarelli, M.D., and Gabriel Edidi, M.D., performed a laparoscopic gastric sleeve procedure on a 39-year-old woman in Bahia Blanca, Argentina on September 20.

The Remote Presence Robot, RP-7, manufactured by InTouch Health, allows a specialist at one location to mentor surgeons at a remote site via a high speed Internet connection. The 5 foot, 5-inch robot, which displays the doctor's face on its 15-inch screen, is controlled by a physician using a joystick to drive it. With on-board, two-way cameras, microphones and wireless technology, the robot provides high quality, real-time audio and video communication between doctors located on two continents. And, the complete mobility of the robot around the operating room provides optimum visualization for the consulting surgeon.

“I have never had the opportunity to shake the hand of either of these surgeons, but with the power of the Internet and the RP-7 robot, I was able to teach and coach these doctors through a very difficult surgery that will change a patient's life forever,” said Gandsas. “During the surgery, the robot allowed me to zoom in on the patient and on the monitors to assess the situation.”

Surgeons at Sinai Hospital and Johns Hopkins Medical Center, both Maryland hospitals, trained Cantarelli and Egidi on the laparaoscopic gastric sleeve procedure using the RP-7 to communicate. During their nine week training period, the Argentine doctors learned the surgical techniques required to perform the procedure without ever leaving their hospital.

For hospitals with limited resources remote presence technology offers a cost effective, state-of-the-art solution for teaching, training and mentoring physicians.
“Having a world expert from the United States looking over our shoulder during the surgery greatly enhanced our comfort level and provided the best care for the patient,” commented Cantarelli on the experience.

InTouch Health and Sinai Hospital hope to continue this relationship and train additional physicians using remote presence technology.

“The RP-7 robot instantly brings specialists into hospitals world-wide,” commented Dr. Yulun Wang, Chairman and CEO for InTouch Health. “Now, doctors anywhere in the world can obtain the training they need to perform complex surgical procedures without ever leaving home.”

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore is a member of LifeBridge Health, a regional health organization, which includes Northwest Hospital Center, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Jewish Convalescent & Nursing Home, and related subsidiaries and affiliates.

InTouch Technologies, Inc. (d.b.a. InTouch Health®) is a privately held company based in Santa Barbara, CA. The company is pioneering remote presence technology for hospital providers. Through a proprietary communications and mobile robotic platform, the RP-7 Remote Presence Robotic System, doctors are able to consult with hospital-based patients and staff more easily and frequently. The InTouch Health solution leverages the time and expertise of healthcare professionals across multiple care facilities, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of care delivery.