Telehealth has evolved far beyond the video visit. Surgeons can now use virtual technology to monitor patients throughout recovery, collaborate with specialists across institutions, and even provide real-time guidance to colleagues performing operations hundreds or thousands of miles away.
These advances will be the focus of this afternoon’s Panel Session, “Innovations and Advances in Telehealth for Surgeons” (PS114), moderated by Ravi Radhakrishnan, MD, FACS, from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, and Mark D. Sawyer, MD, FACS, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The session will be from 2:30 to 4:00 pm in Room 201.
“Telehealth is increasingly integrated into the entire surgical process, beyond just replacing office visits,” Dr. Radhakrishnan said. “Surgeons can utilize virtual platforms for initial consultations, triage, preoperative prep, postoperative follow-up, wound assessment, and long-term monitoring.”
Postoperative evaluations are a crucial part of the surgical recovery process. Thanks to advances in telehealth, surgeons can now track recovery, activity levels, symptoms, and specific physiological data between visits. This expands surgical expertise beyond medical centers, allowing patients and referring clinicians to access specialists without the need for travel.
The session also will examine emerging applications of telehealth across the surgical continuum, with presentations on perioperative telemedicine, intraoperative telementoring, and real-time surgical guidance.
Another important application of telehealth is enhanced communication between physicians. Virtual provider-to-provider interactions between surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, and other specialists can help streamline patient care. This is particularly advantageous for smaller hospitals that might not be able to maintain every specialty onsite. It also can accelerate multidisciplinary decision-making and allow more patients to receive care closer to home.
Telementoring, which is an important element of surgeon-to-surgeon collaboration, will be a major focus of the session. Telementoring allows surgeons working in rural, underserved, military, or international settings to benefit from real-time or asynchronous guidance from a subspecialist while providing local care.
“The goal should be to empower remote surgeons to build their independence and confidence,” Dr. Radhakrishnan said, emphasizing how telementoring fosters ongoing relationships, continuing education, case reviews, and the development of local surgical skills.
Despite its potential, telehealth also presents significant challenges. Dr. Radhakrishnan noted the rapid pace of technological advancement relative to the development of necessary support systems. Key questions about licensure, credentialing, privileging, reimbursement, liability, cybersecurity, patient privacy, documentation, and clinician responsibility across institutions or states remain unresolved. And while telehealth can expand access for patients in remote areas, it can also increase disparities for those lacking reliable broadband, suitable devices, digital literacy, or language support.
“Addressing these issues is vital for telehealth to evolve from isolated innovations to a viable, long-term element of surgical practice,” Dr. Radhakrishnan said.
Telehealth provides new ways to share surgical expertise, facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration, monitor patients remotely, mentor colleagues, and expand access to specialty services. But Dr. Radhakrishnan stressed that not all aspects of surgical care should be virtual.
“Technology should enhance, not replace, the surgeon-patient relationship,” he said.
Dr. Radhakrishnan hopes attendees will return to their practices and identify at least one area—such as postoperative care, multidisciplinary consultations, remote monitoring, or professional collaboration—that can be improved through telehealth. Whether by increasing access for patients, improving the quality and efficiency of care, or enhancing professional development for surgeons, telehealth has significant potential when implemented with proper safeguards.
