Global surgical robotics business CMR Surgical (CMR) has launched partnerships with telementoring companies – Teladoc Health and SurgEase Innovations Ltd – to enhance its ongoing training support for surgical teams using the Versius® Surgical Robotic System.
Telementoring systems utilise specialised monitors, sound systems and cameras to allow trainers and surgical preceptors to provide real-time guidance and technical assistance during surgical procedures irrespective of geography, to provide expert clinical support for surgical team as they master the Versius technology.
This additional remote assistance is provided to surgical teams as part of CMR’s step-wise training programme, which utilises enhanced virtual reality technology, extensive supervised training and preceptor support.
CMR will utilise Teladoc Health’s Mini Tabletop device; initially launching at hospitals in Europe, South America, India and Australia.
CMR will use technology from SurgEase Innovation’s Connected Health intelligence Platform (CHiP) at hospitals in the UK.
Vanash Patel, Consultant Colorectal & General Surgeon, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, commented: “When developing your skills with Versius, it is crucial to be able to get technical advice from trainers and preceptors.
“As part of its Preceptor programme, CMR selects the right expert to support, firstly in-person at the hospital, then through telementoring meaning you can continue to get advice and support whenever you need it.
“It feels like the expert is in the room with you, seeing what you are seeing, advising you in real-time. Such technology will be of real benefit to the surgical team and their patients.”
Fiona Morrison, Global Head of Professional Education, CMR Surgical, commented: “We want to make sure that our training technology matches up to our next-generation surgical robot Versius.
“That’s why we are delighted to partner with both Teladoc Health and SurgEase Innovations to utilise their latest platforms.”
“These telementoring devices will allow surgeons and their teams to access on-demand virtual support from our expert technical skills trainers and surgical preceptors as they progress through their learning curve.
“It’s an efficient way to provide additional support as surgical teams perfect their performance with Versius which helps them to provide the best care for patients.”
Andy Puterbaugh, President, Hospital and Health Systems, Teladoc Health, commented: “We are pleased that CMR has chosen Teladoc to advance the skills and techniques of Versius robotic surgeons and teams around the globe.
“By securely connecting our telehealth devices with the Versius technology, surgeons, expert technical and clinical trainers as well as surgical preceptors can easily collaborate to advance patient care and help drive better outcomes.”
Fareed Iqbal, Founder and CEO, SurgEase Innovations Ltd, commented: “Partnering with CMR, a British-based company that shares values and ambitions aligned with ours, makes this commercial collaboration that much more meaningful.
“We look forward to merging our strengths within the digital surgery field to deliver high-quality technology to enhance patient outcomes.”
A new survey by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons has revealed that has been a rise in cosmetic procedures as the pandemic eases.
The society polled member surgeons across the country and found many Americans are investing in cosmetic procedures, despite the uncertain economy.
Three quarters of plastic surgeons said they were in more demand now than before the pandemic and nearly 30 per cent said their business had at least doubled.
"With COVID, we prepared for the worst. But when we were able to reopen our office, we were pleasantly surprised with the incredible surge of demand for our cosmetic services, both surgical and noninvasive," said Bob Basu, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Houston and board vice president of finance of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
"Now that the worst is hopefully behind us and people are traveling again and getting back to normal life, I initially thought that we would see some of that demand drop off, and that's not been the case. We're actually still seeing very high demand."
Basu says there are a variety of reasons behind the increased demand. For many patients, COVID shutdowns and the ability to work from home gave them the time they needed to heal, without disrupting their normal busy routine. Others say the money saved on things like travel and dining out during the pandemic allowed them to invest in themselves.
"COVID changed everything. No one was traveling, vacations got cancelled. So, I think a lot of families and patients had a lot more disposable income. And so, they found that this is the right time for them to do a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure," Basu said.
The survey also found women between the ages of 31 and 45 were by far the most likely to request popular procedures such as breast augmentations, liposuction and tummy tucks. Basu says millennials are not only savvy about their options, but are also more open about their choice to seek plastic surgery than older generations.
"Millennials are very sophisticated in terms of getting the information they want. They share their experiences with other people through social media platforms or other methods. And so, these procedures are no longer taboo – they're actually relatable and accessible," Basu said.
"Because of this open sharing, patients also come in well-versed about the procedures of interest. And so it really allows us to have a really productive discussion about their options."
The survey, called the Inaugural ASPS Insights and Trends Report: Cosmetic Surgery 2022, found over 40 per cent of plastic surgeons are reporting longer wait times between consultation and surgery than before the pandemic, so experts encourage anyone considering a cosmetic procedure to plan ahead as much as possible.
A company which specialises in surgical robotics and mixed reality closed a $5.2 million fundraising round earlier this year.
Zeta Surgical announced in the Spring, that it will use the capital to finalise the development of its neurosurgical navigation platform Zeta and its non-invasive focused-ultrasound system ZetaFUS.
The money will enable Zeta Surgical to finish its initial clinical studies, obtain FDA clearance and expand its technical and clinical teams.
“To date, the use of surgical guidance has been limited to long, operating room-based interventions, due to its invasiveness and complex deployment,” Zeta Surgical Co-Founder and CEO Jose Amich said.
“Our goal is to provide physicians with a robust, fast, and accurate guidance system deployable during any case, irrespective of where they are in the hospital or what hospital they are in. We’re thrilled to be partnering with such a strong group of investors who are aligned with our mission to improve access to safe and effective surgery.”
Innospark Ventures led Zeta Surgical’s fundraising effort with the participation of TSVC, Y Combinator, Trevor Fetter and others.
Titan Medical Inc has revealed that multiple disruptions have resulted in an updated Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) submission timeline for the Enos™ robotic single access surgery system.
The medical device company, which is focused on the development and commercialization of innovative surgical technologies for single access robotic-assisted surgery, now expects the IDE submission to occur mid-year 2023 instead of in the first quarter of 2023.
Pending successful regulatory review, and upon receipt of marketing authorization, the expected US product launch for the Enos system remains on schedule for early 2025.
By focusing on a single patient access point, Titan Medical expects that patient trauma and scarring can be reduced, and patients may be able to recover faster.
Interim President and CEO Paul Cataford said: “We have been fortunate to have avoided and mitigated against many of the issues facing almost all other technology companies over the last few months.
“However, we now expect our targeted IDE application date to be pushed out to the summer of 2023. Human clinical trials are still planned to start in 2023 and we expect to receive marketing authorization in the U.S. in early 2025.”
The Enos project timeline has been impacted by several factors including:
“We continue to carefully monitor our project plan. With recent changes, we believe we have the right people, resources and partners in place to execute against our project delivery timeline.
“This team is committed, engaged and accountable, and we’re excited to bring our vision of single access robotic assisted surgery to the market,” concluded Paul Cataford.