can be done at virtually any hospital outpatient department or stand-
alone ASC.
Implementation of the latest technology is critical in health care. As
more facilities embrace game-changing surgical devices and tools, the
cost of new technology will decrease, spurring widespread accessibili-
ty to several exciting developments being brought to the OR table.
• Robotics. The surgical robot has come a long way since it first
arrived in surgery. Twenty years ago, robotics enhanced human
capabilities with the platforms simply by following the movements
of the surgeon. Today, image-guidance improves the precision of
robots, which guide the surgeon along preplanned surgical path-
ways. Advances in the technology have allowed my department to
shift approximately 50% of our robotic procedures to outpatient
ORs. It's why my team and I were able to perform the world's first
single-port kidney transplant, during which we placed surgical
instruments and the donor kidney through a 4cm incision in the
patient's abdomen. The procedure minimized tissue trauma and
resulted in minimal post-op pain, allowing the patient to recovery
without taking opioids.
• Virtual reality. These technologies are helping to train an entire
new generation of surgeons. Virtual reality lets physicians watch
renowned surgeons perform complex procedures from anywhere in
the world through headsets or training modules that simulate surgical
procedures in great detail, allowing the physicians to get a feel for the
surgery without using costly bone models or cadavers for practice. A
recent UCLA study that assessed virtual reality as a training tool
showed very promising early results. It's leveling the playing field
among our young physicians and decreasing the learning curve faster
than we ever thought possible.
• 3D printing. Engineers are using 3D printing technology to create
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