Global surgery

Your challenge: Convince a patient of the advantages of remote surgery so he can have a life-saving operation.

What’s the story?

Luigi Santori is a patient in a hospital in Rome. He has suffered a series of heart attacks and is about to undergo heart surgery. As the leading expert in his field, Dr Norman Mills, a heart surgeon in London, will carry out the procedure via remote surgery and insert a new pacemaker. The team in Italy will assist him.

Dr Mills has asked you to prepare the patient for the operation and explain – via video link! – why this is the best solution for him. It is your job to reassure him that the procedure is safe, how he can be in contact with Dr Mills before and after the operation and how the teams in London and Rome will take care of him after the procedure.

Remote surgery?

Have you ever been operated on by someone who wasn’t even in the same room? These days, specialists from all over the world can take part in an operation via remote surgery. A doctor in London, for instance, can advise a colleague in Tokyo via video link how to carry out a medical procedure. They can even control a remote surgical robot to perform the procedure themselves.

But how do the patients feel about this? Having an operation is unsettling enough, let alone by someone thousands of miles away who they have never met. But maybe it’s just a matter of explaining the procedure and aftercare properly to them.

What you need to do

Once you have thought about how you will persuade Signor Santori, produce a video (max. five minutes) of your thoughts. There is no right or wrong way to do this. You can use any props you want or just do a talking head. You should:

  • Introduce yourself to make it all seem a bit more ‘human’. Remember your role is to reassure Luigi.
  • Explain what remote surgery actually is and exactly what the procedure will involve.
  • Put yourself in Luigi’s shoes and address any of the disadvantages of having remote surgery that he might be concerned about.
  • Explain the benefits of having the procedure carried out as remote surgery.

Want to make sure you get your point across? Have a look at our Presentation tips.

Here are some questions to get you started...

  • What are the advantages of remote surgery for a patient?
  • What are the possible limitations or disadvantages of remote surgery for a patient?
  • What does ‘remote’ actually mean (video link, surgeon controlling a surgical robot)?
  • How can the surgeon be in regular touch with the patient before the operation to reassure them and answer their questions?
  • What questions might the patient have?
  • What might the patient be afraid of before the operation?
  • How can the remote surgeon monitor the patient’s condition after the operation? Is this necessary or could a local doctor take on this job?

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How will your entry be judged?

To really impress the judges your entry has to meet three equally weighted criteria:

  • Engage! You have to communicate with your audience in an exciting and engaging fashion
  • Understand! You must show that you understand the science behind the challenge and your solution
  • Solve! You need to offer a solution to the problem you have been presented. The more innovative and interesting your approach the better!

Submitting your challenge video

Upload your challenge video now, using the IET Faraday Video Wizard.

Closing date for submitting your entries is the 14th December. Don’t forget to read the terms and conditions before you enter.

If the judges choose your video as one of the 4 regional winners, your winning team will be invited to take part in the filming of 4 ‘Faraday returns’ videos with leading scientists and engineers. Filming will take place in January, please therefore ensure that your team is available during this period.