Study: Robot-Assisted Regional Anesthesia Could Let Anesthesiologists Perform from Remote Locations

Written by Rachel Fields | August 27, 2010

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A study in the September issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia reported an existing surgical robot could be used to perform complex regional anesthesia procedures, theoretically allowing expert anesthesiologists to perform procedures remotely, according to the Anesthesia & Analgesia report abstract. 

Though the robot-assisted anesthesia is experimental for the time being, the study showed the robot could be adapted for simulated nerve block placement. The researchers performed a series of simulations to test the feasibility of performing robot-assisted regional anesthesia procedures.

The procedures were performed using an ultrasound "phantom" that simulated what an anesthesiologist would see when performing ultrasound-guided procedures.

Read the abstract on robot-assisted regional anesthesia.

Read more on anesthesia:

-5 Current Trends Affecting Anesthesiologists

-Study: Dramatic Shortage of Anesthesiologists, Surplus of Nurse Anesthetists Projected by 2010

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