Telerobotic remote surgery is now in routine use, providing high-quality laparoscopic surgical services to patients in a rural community and providing a superior degree of collaboration between surgeons in teaching hospitals and rural hospitals. Further refinement of the robotic and telecommunication technology should ensure its wider application in the near future.

Surgeons are able to complete tasks with a signal transmission latency of up to 500 ms. The clinical impact of slower TCT and increased error rates encountered at higher latency needs to be established.

Surgeons are able to complete tasks with a signal transmission latency of up to 500 ms. The clinical impact of slower TCT and increased error rates encountered at higher latency needs to be established.

Intra- and Postoperative Complications of Laparoscopic Fundoplication The analysis of intra- and postoperative complications of laparoscopic fundoplication yields results similar to those of the open operation, with an overall morbidity of about 10% and a mortality of 0.2% even if the period of the so-called learning curve is included. There is without doubt an impact of the learning curve upon the incidence of complications. Apparently, pretentiously specific complications of laparoscopic antireflux surgery like esophageal perforation and herniations/strangulations are not significantly more frequent if sufficient surgical expertise is provided. Results of long-term follow-up are comparable to those after open surgery. In comparison to traditional surgery, problems of dysphagia are predominant causes for reoperations.

No abstract