World’s First Surgical Procedure Taught Entirely Through Remote Presence

InTouch Health®, the world leader in Remote Presence health care solutions, announced today the successful completion of the world’s first surgical procedure where the operating surgeons were trained by a mentoring surgeon located more than 5,400 miles away.

With the help of the RP-7™ Remote Presence Robot, Dr. Alex Gandsas, Division Head of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Sinai Hospital and Associate Professor of Surgery at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, guided surgeons in Argentina through a laparoscopic gastric sleeve procedure for the treatment of morbid obesity. The surgery followed a three-month training program, during which Dr. Gandsas educated Drs. Sergio Cantarelli and Gabriel Egidi located in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, entirely through the robot. Without ever having met in person the doctors learned the procedure by remotely participating in surgeries at Sinai Hospital and Johns Hopkins Medical Center.

“I’ve never had the opportunity to shake the hand of either of these surgeons, but with the power of the Internet and the RP-7 robot, I was able to teach and coach these doctors through a very difficult surgery that will positively change a patient’s life forever,” said Dr. Gandsas.

The RP-7 Remote Presence Robot, produced by InTouch Health in Santa Barbara, California, enables a medical specialist to mentor a physician or surgeon at a remote site using a high speed Internet connection. The 5-foot, 5-inch robot displays the doctor’s face on a 15-inch screen and is guided by a joystick from a computerized ControlStation, emulating an on-site experience. With two-way cameras, microphones and wireless technology, the robot provides high quality, real-time audio and video with complete mobility around the operating room.

Remote Presence telementoring can be used by experts in the field to cost-effectively train physicians and medical teams on any clinical procedure and best practices. “The RP-7 robot instantly brings specialists to hospitals across the globe in need of training and expertise on surgical procedures that they might not otherwise have access to,” commented Dr. Yulun Wang, Chairman and CEO of InTouch Health.

After the surgery the 39 year-old female patient was able to return home within a few days. The patient commented, “I believe the experience of having a doctor with such international authority supervise my surgery, and two highly notable doctors perform the procedure really contributed to my positive mood and recuperation. Many people speak of the robot in our community without the ability to hide their elation and astonishment that these technological advances are able to take place here. It’s marvelous, and it happened to me.”

About Sinai Hospital of Baltimore

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore is a member of LifeBridge Health, a regional health organization, which includes Northwest Hospital Center, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Jewish Convalescent & Nursing Home, and related subsidiaries and affiliates.

About InTouch Health

InTouch Technologies, Inc. (d.b.a. InTouch Health®) is a privately held company based in Santa Barbara, CA. The company has pioneered remote presence technology for hospital providers. Through its RP-7 Remote Presence Robotic System, a proprietary mobile robotic and communications platform, doctors are able to consult with hospital-based patients and staff more easily and frequently. The InTouch Health solution leverages the time and expertise of healthcare professionals across multiple care facilities, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of care delivery.

Photos available upon request