Broadcast of live endoscopic surgery from Korea to Japan using the digital video transport system.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the quality of sound and uncompressed images during an international broadcast of live surgery using the newly developed digital video transport system (DVTS).


METHODS
Three networks connected hospitals in Seoul, Korea, and Fukuoka, Japan. A teleconference system with bidirectional transmission over the network was set up. DVTS was used to send and receive visual and audio signals during a live broadcast of a laparoscopic partial nephrectomy to viewers at the 94th annual meeting of the Japanese Urological Association. A questionnaire was used to assess the quality of images and sound.


RESULTS
Of 713 questionnaires distributed, 418 were collected. The quality of image and voice was ranked very good or good by 95% and 92% of the audience, respectively. The quality of live surgery was considered high by 94% of the audience.


CONCLUSIONS
Digital video images can be transformed directly to an Internet protocol without compression of the motion images using DVTS. Live surgery via teleconference using DVTS can help surgeons learn the skills of endoscopic surgery.
Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. etom@uro.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Masatoshi
M
Eto
Tchun Yong
TY
Lee
Inderbir S
IS
Gill
Hirofumi
H
Koga
Katsunori
K
Tatsugami
Shuji
S
Shimizu
Osamu
O
Ukimura
Seiji
S
Naito
D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D007723:Korea; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D013686:Telemetry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014741:Video Recording / Q000295:instrumentation*