Telemedicine and telerobotics: from science fiction to reality

Advances in communication technologies have paved the way for telemedicine to transform the delivery of medical care throughout the world. Coinciding developments in minimally invasive surgery and in particular teleoperated robotic surgical systems will allow the surgeon to deliver expert care in remote locations. This study presents a systematic review of telemedicine, focusing on telerobotic surgical systems. A brief historical review of telemedicine and telerobotics is provided, including a description of the various subtypes of telemedicine. Currently available systems and recent experimental utilization, including long-distance remote telesurgery, are discussed. Experimental telerobotic surgical systems and future developments in the field are reviewed and the potential applications are considered. Future challenges to the implementation and opinions on the future direction of telerobotics are provided in this review.