醫生使用iPad遠程進行手術已成爲可能

In countries ravaged by conflict, providing international medical expertise on the ground can be almost impossible.

在那些局勢動盪的國家，提供現場的國際性專業醫療救助幾乎是不太可能的。

But a new software, called Proximie, is enabling surgeons to provide help from wherever they are in the world, all through the screen of an iPad.

但是一個名爲Proximie的新軟件，使得世界各地的外科醫生僅僅通過iPad屏幕就可以提供幫助。

"I see on my screen the surgical feed that is being captured by the camera in Gaza and I'm able to draw on my screen the incision that needs to be done," says Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sitta, Head of Plastic Surgery at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. "Like being in the room"

美國貝魯特大學醫學中心整形外科的領頭人加桑·阿布席塔醫生表示：“我屏幕上的手術是由加沙的相機拍攝，我能在屏幕上看到需要處理的切口。就好像是在一個房間裏一樣。”

Abu-Sitta has already used the Proximie software to lead two operations in the Gaza strip from his base in Beirut. From hundreds of miles away he showed colleagues how to negotiate a blast injury and operate on a congenital anomaly affecting the hand.

阿布席塔已經通過Proximie軟件，在貝魯特的基地遠程進行了兩例加沙地帶的手術。從數百英里外，他跟同事協商如何處理爆炸傷和操作先天性異常且影響手部的手術。

The software means that surgeons can demonstrate -- in real time -- the actions needing to be taken on the front line.

這個軟件意味着，外科醫生可以實時的示範這些需要馬上在現場執行的行動。

The procedure uses two smart phones or tablets connected to the internet which show a live camera feed of the operation. The surgeon sees this, and then marks on their device where to make incisions.

手術過程中需使用兩部智能手機或平板電腦連接到互聯網，還要有展示手術現場活動的攝像機。醫生看着顯示屏，然後在設備上標註切口位置。

"That drawing shows up on my colleague's screen in Gaza and he follows my drawings by making the incisions where they appear on the screen," says Dr. Abu-Sitta, "It really is the equivalent of being there in the room with them."

“我繪製出的標記，就能顯示在加沙我的同事的屏幕上，他就能根據我的指引進行手術。” 阿布席塔說，“這真的就像我也在那個房間和他們在一起一樣。”

With two thirds of the world's population lacking access to safe surgery, the time is ripe to develop new techniques to reach more remote areas.

當前全球有三分之二的人口無法接受安全的外科手術，所以，開發新技術，以使更多偏遠地區受益的時機已經成熟。

Previously, Abu-Sitta and his staff were trying to help overseas surgeons by sending them audio recordings, photos and X-rays using the online messenger WhatsApp. But the new software is far more interactive, providing detailed images and patient information throughout the surgery.

此前，阿布席塔和他的團隊曾設想通過運用網絡即時聊天工具WhatsApp傳遞視頻、圖片和X-射線資料以協助海外遠程手術。不過，現在這款新的軟件互動性更強，通過手術能提供更詳細的圖像和患者的信息。

"We wanted to push the idea that with only the minimum hardware, and minimum infrastructure you can still pull it off," says Abu-Sitta, "With just two tablets, iPad to iPad, we're able to perform this surgery."

他說，“我們想推動的理念是，通過配備最少的硬件和最少的基礎設施就可以實現。僅用兩個平板電腦，iPad對iPad，我們就能夠完成手術。”

Whether it's used for education or to conduct delicate surgeries in conflict zones, internet enabled software such as Proximie could be the future of surgery.

無論是用於教育還是用於在衝突地區進行精細的手術，互聯網使得像Proximie這樣的軟件有可能成爲外科手術的未來。