– This will be fantastically exciting, says patient Godtfred Fosse (75). He is in his bed at Sørlandet Hospital in Arendal. Soon he will have a completely unique heart operation performed. The special thing is that one of the surgeons is 2,000 kilometers away. Senior physician and heart specialist Christian Eek at Rikshospitalet is at a medical conference in Belgrade. He will help section chief Slobodan Calic, who is with the patient in Arendal. Heart specialist Christian Hesbø Eek demonstrates to the congress participants how a collaboration of this type can take place. He participates in the operation via a screen. Photo: Privat Virtual buttons The 75-year-old Fosse has agreed to be a “guinea pig” during the partially remote-controlled operation. 1,500 conference participants follow along excitedly. The new use of Mixed Reality technology will be shown to a room full of doctors attending the congress in Serbia. Senior doctor Calic in Arendal wears MRI glasses. These allow senior doctor Eek in Belgrade to see everything Calic sees. In addition, Eek can press virtual buttons on interactive holograms of dashboards as if he were in the hospital in Arendal. He can also draw virtually on X-rays if necessary. – You can get help from experts in distant places who can participate in complicated operations. This is a form of collaboration that can be transferred to almost all other areas of medicine, Calic believes. Section chief Slobodan Calic at the PCI center at Sørlandet Hospital in Arendal. Photo: Pål Tegnander / news Can save lives Sørlandet Hospital is, together with Rikshospitalet, one of the first in the world to use the modern technology to unblock heart arteries. Calic believes the new technology causes fewer complications and is safer for patients. It will also be easier to transfer expertise, according to him. – When there are two operators, you get a better success rate. I believe this type of communication during operations can save patients’ lives, says Calic. The cardiologists in Belgrade follow along for an hour while the surgeon in Arendal pushes the stent through the heart’s coronary arteries. Heart specialist Eek tells the audience in the hall why this is a useful way to use technology. At the same time, he discusses with Calic what should be the next step in the operation. Photo: Siv Kristin Sællmann / news Long operation After four hours, the complicated surgery has been completed. With success. Fosse’s veins have been scrutinized and unblocked, all the while with assistance from Eek. Godtfred Fosse can expect a few days in hospital after the operation. This is followed by training and a healthy diet for the newly operated patient. – It’s an adventure, says an impressed patient. Godtfred Fosse has just undergone a heart operation in front of 1,500 cardiologists from all over the world. Via screen. Photo: Siv Kristin Sællmann / news
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