UCLA Chief of Orthopedic Spine Surgery Arya Nick Shamie, MD, performed spine surgery yesterday that was broadcast to Tehran University of Medical Services in Iran, according to a UCLA Center for World Health news release.
The surgery was transmitted from the UCLA Santa Monica operating room to Tehran using an audiovisual bridge. The operation was also distributed to venues in Pakistan, Tanzania, Brazil and other countries. Sanctions against Iran have created a shortage of medicine and others supplies, so university-sponsored medical capacity building initiatives such as this were given a special license from the U.S. Department of Treasury for humanitarian and educational projects.
Dr. Shamie used the interactive telecast to teach medical colleagues in Iran an experimental procedure to treat lumbar spinal stenosis as part of the Southern California Orthopedic Education Network. The National Academy of Science, National Library of Medicine, Internet2, Karl Storz Endoscopy and UCLA AV/VTC Services helped orchestrate the event along with physicians in Pakistan, Tanzania, Afghanistan and Brazil.
More Articles on Spine Surgery:
Scoliosis Procedures for Growing Spine: Advances in Anterior Vertebral Body Tethering
7 Current Trends in Cervical Spine Fusion, Decompression
20 Spine Surgeons Focused on Ethics