McGill pioneers remote anaesthesia

McGill University in Canada and the Department of Anaesthesia of Pisa University in Italy have been working together to pioneer remote anaesthesia.

Over a two week period, a team from McGill provided remote treatment for 20 patients underoing thyroid surgery in Italy, with the operations lasting from 45 minutes to three hours.

Four cameras allowed the Montreal team to monitor patient care through a live stream. Vital signs monitoring and drug administration was controlled throuh an internet link.

Automated systems were in place to take over if the links were interrupted, and a local team could over-ride the teleanaesthesia at any time.

“The practice has obvious applications in countries with a significant number of people living in remote areas, like Canada, where specialists may not be available on site,” said McGill University team leader Dr Thomas Hemmerling.

“It could also be used for teaching purposes, allowing the resident to perform tasks without the physical presence of a tutor, thus increasing his or her confidence level.”

The researchers are also looking at the possibility of preoperative assessment of patients at home.

Videoconferencing could eliminate the long journeys that patients sometimes have to make to see anaesthesiologists, who ask specific questions, and reduce the need for them to visit hospital before their operations.