Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35246740›Full record

SynthesisSurgical endoscopy2022

Remote telesurgery in humans: a systematic review.

Patrick Barba, Joshua Stramiello, Emily K Funk, Florian Richter, Michael C Yip, Ryan K Orosco

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Surgical endoscopy, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 50 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
50citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

50 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Remote Telesurgery Versus Local Minimally Invasive Surgery: A Systematic Review of the Comparative Evidence Base.The international journal of medical robotics + computer assisted surgery : MRCAS · 2026
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  15. 5G-Enabled remote Robotic-Assisted percutaneous pedicle screw fixation in single thoracolumbar fractures: initial clinical feasibility and safety evaluation.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Patrick BarbaUniversity of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA.
Joshua StramielloDepartment of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
Emily K FunkDepartment of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
Florian RichterDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Michael C YipDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Ryan K OroscoDepartment of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA. rorosco@health.ucsd.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-7885-4327

Funding

UC San Diego Clinical and Translational Research InstituteUL1TR001442 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI FIRESTEIN, GARY S, HOGARTH, MICHAEL · 2015 to 2024
$88.3M
OTOLARYNGOLOGY TRAINING IN IMMUN., VIROL. &MOLEC. BIOL.T32DC000028 · NIDCD · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI RYAN, ALLEN F. · 1989 to 2020
$2.1M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR001442NIDCD NIH HHS 2T32DC000028-21
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSince the conception of robotic surgery, remote telesurgery has been a dream upon which incredible technological advances haven been built. Despite the considerable enthusiasm for, there have been few published studies of remote telesurgery on humans.

methodsWe performed a systematic review of the English literature (PubMed, EMbase, Inspec & Compendex and Web of Science) to report studies of remote telesurgery in humans. Keywords included telesurgery, remote surgery, long-distance surgery, and telerobotics. Subjects had to be human (live patients or cadavers). The operating surgeon had to be remote from the patient, separated by more than one kilometer. The article had to explicitly report the use of a long-distance telerobotic technique. Articles that focused on telepresence or tele-mentoring were excluded.

resultsThe study included eight articles published from 2001 to 2020. One manuscript (1 subject) described remote surgery on a cadaver model, and the other seven were on live humans (72 subjects). Procedure types included percutaneous, endovascular, laparoscopic, and transoral. Communication methods varied, with the first report using a telephone line and the most recent studies using a 5G network. Six of the studies reported signal latency as a single value and it ranged from 28 ms to 280 ms.

conclusionsFew studies have described remote telesurgery in humans, and there is considerable variability in robotic and communication methods. Future efforts should work to improve reporting of signal latency and follow careful research methodology.

Indexed as

LaparoscopyMentoringRoboticsRobotic Surgical ProceduresTelemedicineHumansMotion scalingRobotic surgerySignal latencyTeleroboticsTelesurgery

Identifiers

PMID35246740
PMCPMC9923406

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.