• C Y Nguan, R Morady, C Wang, D Harrison, D Browning, R Rayman, and P P W Luke.
• Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
• Int J Med Robot. 2008 Mar 1; 4 (1): 10-4.

BackgroundIn North America, the urological community has embraced surgical robotic technology in the performance of complex laparoscopic surgery. The performance of complex long-distance telesurgery requires further investigation prior to clinical application.MethodsThe feasibility of laparoscopic robot-assisted pyeloplasty in a porcine model was assessed using the Zeus robot and the internet protocol virtual private network (IP-VPNe) and satellite links. Eighteen pyeloplasty procedures were performed, using real-time, IP-VPNe and satellite network connection (six of each). Network and objective operative data were collected.ResultsDespite network delays and jitter, it was feasible to perform the pyeloplasty procedure without significant detriment in operative time or surgical results compared with real-time surgery.ConclusionThe completion of complex tasks such as robotic pyeloplasty is feasible using both land-line and satellite telesurgery. However, the clinical relevance of telesurgery requires further assessment.

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