In a test that featured half a dozen surgeons from across the United States, including Theodoros Voloyiannis, M.D., FACS, FASCRS, a colon and rectal surgeon at Texas Colon & Rectal Specialists–Webster, a miniature robot created at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln successfully completed a surgical simulation aboard the International Space Station. It is the first surgical robot aboard the space station and one of the first times remote surgery tasks have been tested in space.
Dr. Voloyiannis, who has performed more than 1,000 robotic-assisted surgeries during the past 15 years, explained that most robots used today take up an entire room and this robot is more accessible with far-reaching potential beyond space. “It's a great leap for surgery - It's easier to train on and it will be available to small communities without specialized surgeons,” he said.
Read the full story at Nebraska Today.
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