Cybersurgery: Advanced Technologies for Surgical Practice (Protocols in General Surgery) - Hardcover

Developments in minimal access surgery are increasingly being driven by advances in technology. The operating room of the future will be a sophisticated mix of stereo imaging systems, microbots, robotic manipulators, virtual reality/telepresence workstations, and computer integrated surgery. This volume explores the emerging technologies that are revolutionizing modern surgical practice.

CYBERSURGERY

Advanced Technologies for Surgical Practice

Edited by Richard M. Satava, M.D.

"When current vocabulary contains no words to adequately express germinating ideas, it is necessary to resort to neologisms. Cybersurgery cannot be defined, rather it is a synthesis of this entire book, with the description of the individual technologies contributing to the meaning on a scientific, intuitive, and emotional level. The reader must distill the essence of cybersurgery by imprinting their personal experience and interpretation upon these printed words." -- from Cybersurgery

The fusion of digital technologies and minimal access surgical techniques has laid the groundwork for a revolutionary leap in the art and science of general surgery. In all probability, the convergence of computers, micromachines, remote manipulators, energy-directed therapies, human interface technologies, 3-D visualization, and virtual reality will allow surgeons in the not-too-distant future to perform predominantly noninvasive procedures on patients located anywhere from a few feet to a few time zones away.

Cybersurgery is an accessible introduction to these advanced technologies and their emerging relevance to surgical practice. The book opens with a concise description of the new concepts that are allowing surgeons to both comprehend and reimagine their craft in the information age, followed by detailed overviews of the key technologies underlying cybersurgery and the ways in which they can be configured to support image-guided and computer-assisted procedures as well as telepresence surgery and telemedicine. It closes with a thoughtful consideration of the legal, ethical, and behavioral factors that will influence, and to some extent limit, the development of cybersurgery.

Individual chapters address such topics as:
* Human interface technology
* Advanced display devices
* Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)
* Image-guided procedures
* Computer-aided surgery
* Telepresence surgery
* Telemedicine, telementoring, and teleproctoring

Cybersurgery will be an enduring source of information, ideas, and inspiration for all physicians and general surgeons as medicine struggles through the transition from the industrial age to the information age.

The goal of Protocols in General Surgery is to provide concise introductions to the most important issues and stimulating topics in contemporary surgical practice, as determined by the Series Editor and an Editorial Advisory Board of senior surgeons.