Video surgery opens the next frontier in e-health

Medical surgeons in the country can now hone their skills through live video conference surgery (VCS) demonstrations with experts based abroad.
The first surgery enabled by remote video technology in the country was performed last week at the Aga Khan University Hospital.
VCS connects surgeons located in different operating theatres through high capacity internet and is now being billed as the next big leap in e-health.

“The benefits of being part of real time procedures are that you can get a second opinion in the event of complicated procedures as well as improve your skill in doing the procedure,” said Dr Lawrence Gakuu, an orthopedic surgeon at Kenyatta Hospital.

He said the technology is in use in developed countries where specialists lecture surgeons attending international conferences via video links.

Given the great leaps in fibre optic technology, a prerequisite in live surgery due to the delicate nature of operations, doctors now say the innovation can be tapped to improve the quality of surgeries and the treatment they give.

A minimum of 2 megabytes per second (Mbps) link is needed to meet the required clarity, with a 5 Mbps link costing Sh150,000 on average.

Although video conferencing has been in the country for years, its application in the medical field has been largely limited to remote consultations between doctors since Kenya lacked the necessary internet capacities.

Sharing of knowledge

Already, Kenyan urologists – doctors who specialise in the treatment of diseases of the urinary tract – have benefited from a Pan African Surgeons’ Association Conference where several live surgical procedures were streamed from South Africa.

“Technology presents a unique chance to share knowledge and grow each other’s individual and collective capacity in our service to humanity,” said Dr Saeed Samnakay, a consultant urological surgeon at Aga Khan University Hospital.

Dr Samnakay said the technology would give the pool of surgeons available in Kenya experience, which causes patients to opt for operations abroad.

“Situations where surgeons take part in the actual surgical procedures will give them the necessary expertise that they require, if it was lacking in the first place,” he said.

However, some doctors still maintain that given the sensitivity of surgical procedures, hands-on experience is still essential.
“This mode of training should only be used with sets of doctors who are versed with the technique being performed .

The conferencing should be viewed as a mode of improving what they already know and not as a initial training tool,” said Dr Vincent Mutiso, an orthopedic surgeon at Nairobi Hospital and a lecturer at the University of Nairobi.

Kenyans have in the past sought treatment from Asia and Europe for neurological disorders, brain surgery, open heart surgeries and orthopedic ailments.

The number of patients seeking surgery in India, for instance, is expected to double to 50,000 this year compared to last year.