Robotic Surgery, Robotic Tele-Surgery, and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Review Article

ABSTRACT

Background: The COVID-19 virus sweeps the whole world, with millions of people infected and a hundred thousand dead. This pandemic does not affect normal people only;it affects surgeons also. The number of surgeons worldwide is limited, especially experienced ones at risk of infection and death. Patients pay the cost of surgical shutdown by postponing their scheduled surgical procedure, which may affect their health and make them more morbid. During the pandemic, surgery is limited during the pandemic to emergent cases. There is a need to establish a way to provide surgical service from experienced surgeons without the possibility of virus transmission to these experienced surgical staff. Robotic and robotic telesurgery is emerging, a recent diagnostic and therapeutic tool that offers excellent surgical service without affecting the surgical team. Robotic surgery can be used in different fields of surgery in emergent and non-emergent cases during the pandemic and after the pandemic settles down. The aim: was to evaluate the role of robotic surgery, and Tele-surgery in offering global surgical services for emergent and non-emergent cases during and after the pandemic fades away. It is a way to face future pandemics without affecting higher senior surgical staff, especially during the lockdown period. Evaluate the role of Tele-surgery as a way of continuous training for younger surgeons during the pandemic. Conclusion: robotic and robotic Tele-surgery is an excellent method for providing surgical services by experienced surgeons to patients. © 2022 Surgical Society of Northern Greece. All rights reserved.