Urology in the digital age: The power of telemedicine

Abstract

Telemedicine and telesurgery emerged as transformative innovations in urology. These approaches overcome challenges such as geographic barriers, resource limitations, and increasing demand for specialized care. Telemedicine is applied across the surgical continuum, including preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative phases. Telesurgery during the perioperative phase achieves outcomes comparable to onsite guidance, while postoperative teleconsultations are well-accepted by patients, offering results equivalent to face-to-face visits. Benefits include fewer patient visits, reduced infection risks, enhanced convenience, and economic advantages. The advent of ultrabroadband 5G has significantly expanded telemedicine’s scope, enabling real-time remote consultations and advanced telesurgical procedures. Robotic systems such as Toumai, Hinotori, Edge, KangDuo, and Microport Medbot demonstrate promising applications in urological surgery. Despite these advancements, telemedicine faces challenges, including data security, adherence to professional guidelines, and physician adaptability. Legal and ethical issues such as informed consent, patient privacy, licensing, and electronic documentation highlight the need for standardized frameworks. This review analyzes the current state of telemedicine and telesurgery in urology, emphasizing their benefits, challenges, and potential to transform patient care and improve outcomes.