These capabilities have arrived via VSURGIC, a trailblazing company offering unparalleled surgical education and operating room telecommunication. Finally, surgeons have a reliable, HIPAA-compliant live video feed that can be used for multiple purposes.
Given the erosion of physician autonomy, many surgeons no longer feel like their OR is actually theirs. With VSURGIC, surgeons can select from three secure SaaS products that unleash their talents and expand their capabilities: the mobile app (VSURGIC Cuts), the portable communication system (VSURGIC Rapid Connect) and a permanent operating room installation (VSURGIC Connected Operating Room).
VSURGIC = Surgeon Impact Multiplier
Imagine the powerful impact of a surgeon intraoperatively streaming surgical tips about a medical device to 500+ salespeople around the world and later that same day, during another surgery, brainstorming with an engineer 1,000 miles away about possible product improvements.
Within the platform, surgeons can take clips from both of those events, share them with a colleague via a secure link and even place them in a presentation for an upcoming event on the podium.
VSURGIC offers a never-before-seen opportunity to capture, record, and disseminate unique clinical situations that surgeons and researchers can use to teach, demonstrate, and evaluate skills as well as share knowledge and collaborate with peers. With VSURGIC, surgeons can do more with what they know.
“VSURGIC has greatly extended my capabilities as a surgeon,” says Paul Sethi, M.D. an orthopedic surgeon and shoulder specialist at Orthopaedic and Neurosurgery Specialists PC in Greenwich, Connecticut. “I can record cases, review my technique, and get better at my craft. When I am on the podium at national or international lectures, I can easily incorporate the VSURGIC videos into my presentation. And it is ideal for consultations, i.e., if a surgeon wants to watch how I do a case, they can log in and it’s like they are right in the room with me. This obviously saves that surgeon a substantial amount of travel time and money, offering the chance to stay current on surgical techniques without leaving home. Overall, this ideal platform is a well-conceived and inexpensive way to take your surgical abilities to the next level.”
According to the American College of Surgeons, the future integration of technology will allow us to “train from our past” by making resources to record, analyze, and review procedures universally. To date this has been impeded by the lack of a secure, high-resolution method of archiving surgeries that does not diminish in quality upon sharing. Simply using the video capabilities of an average cell phone results in substandard resolution and forces surgeons to contend with unwieldy, large files…not to mention the time lost sorting these images out from their personal photos.
But secure HD streaming to an unlimited number of users while simultaneously archiving the stream for later sharing and clip generation is now a reality with VSURGIC Cuts. At facilities opting for the portable platform (VSURGIC Rapid Connect) or the full OR installation (VSURGIC Connected Operating Room), senior surgeons can instruct trainees and provide Q&A time during live surgery.
The ever-expanding volume of knowledge
As medical research marches forward, surgical trainees are confronted with more information than ever, not only in their specialty, but as it concerns leadership and communication skills. Integrating these hard and soft skills into one’s repertoire can be effortlessly achieved via VSURGIC’s ability to elevate surgical collaboration, product demonstration, and the transfer of knowledge to junior surgeons.
“I was getting a lot of requests from trainees and established surgeons who wanted to observe my surgeries,” states Patrick Denard, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and shoulder specialist at the Oregon Shoulder Institute. “They weren’t keen on having to commit to several days of travel, however. Starting with VSURGIC was a eureka moment and I was thrilled that surgeons from anywhere on the globe could now observe my live procedures.”
“Prior to this technology, rigging up a big AV installation was complicated. Now I just walk in the OR and hit ‘start,’ which is saving me several minutes per case. I even use the videos as part of my discussions with patients. VSURGIC is having obvious downstream effects on how quickly and how well trainees can learn a procedure. Ultimately, the patient wins as a more skilled surgeon typically results in enhanced outcomes.”
“The mobile app—VSURGIC Cuts—puts surgeons back in charge of archiving their procedures in a repeatable, reliable way, and allows them to take control of their messaging,” states VSURGIC CEO Lawrence Binder. Our portable system—Rapid Connect—is a temporary video production studio for the OR and is most valuable to device companies who need fast access to customer feedback and want to reduce their travel time. As for the full installation (VSURGIC COR), it turns any OR into a 24/7, on-demand, recording and broadcast studio for surgical procedures.”
Serving as a secure virtual conduit for live streaming, two-way AV communication and real-time archiving of crucial information from the OR, all three VSURGIC products allow surgeons to create a robust library highlighting their life’s work, skills and talents.
This archive could very well lay the groundwork for developing new models of surgical training. VSURGIC’s unprecedented ability to record teachable moments during clinical situations opens up yet-to-be-explored training opportunities. And this is none too soon, with one study finding that with five months left in training, 92.3% of residents report deficits in preparation for practice.
From beginning to end, it’s your OR…bring it with you and showcase your skills