Telesurgery: from Lindbergh to responsible clinical implementation

Global surgical inequity remains one of the most persistent and consequential challenges in modern healthcare. Despite significant advances in medical technology and clinical expertise, more than half of the world’s population still lacks access to essential health services, and the majority of individuals living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are unable to obtain safe, timely surgical care 1 . This disparity reflects not only limitations in infrastructure and workforce distribution but also structural barriers that prevent specialized knowledge from reaching the populations that need it most. In many regions, treatable surgical conditions continue to evolve into preventable disability and mortality simply because expertise and resources are geographically concentrated 2 . In this context, international collaboration between global health institutions and professional surgical societies may play a critical role in redefining how expertise is distributed worldwide. The partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Society of Robotic Surgery (SRS) represents an emerging model aimed at exploring how digital health technologies, including telesurgery, teleproctoring, and remote diagnostic services, can contribute to addressing global surgical inequities. By combining WHO’s global public health normative guidance with the technical innovation and educational mission of SRS, this collaboration seeks to evaluate how modern surgical technologies can be integrated responsibly into broader health system strategies, particularly in underserved regions. Importantly, there is a growing demand from countries for these types of digital and remote care solutions 2 , 3 . These efforts are not driven only by technological innovation, but by country-led priorities to expand access to primary and specialized care while maintaining safety and sustainability. By reducing geographical barriers, telesurgery can contribute directly to UHC objectives, emergency response capacity, and health system resilience. Building on extensive institutional capabilities, WHO addresses regional and system-level needs, while SRS identifies feasible technologies and provides experienced experts capable of supporting implementation in diverse clinical environments 4 . Ultimately, the collaboration further surfaces evidence to drive global policy formation, as well as contextualizing telesurgery innovation to the nuances and needs of communities 5 .