[Telecommunication in routine surgical practice].

In an internal inquiry on the use of telecommunication, 267 operations were documented. In 62 cases an interruption was necessary: 43 of them for a second opinion and 29 for a new orientation resulting from findings, and in 10 cases for both. A purely verbal communication/consultation was sufficient in 8 cases, in 29 questions an on-site demonstration was necessary to come to a decision.

[Virtual operations on real patients].

The tremendous amount of available medical digital data requires media for intuitive information perception. Virtual reality (VR) presents a technique for processing the visual data from various diagnostic modalities. From a synthetic patient model, the required compact information can be generated.

[Teleconference and telesurgery].

Interchange of information has become possible independent of the user's place or time by modern telemedical services and opens up new dimensions for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. For teleconferences and teleconsultations in surgery, the intraoperative high-quality transmission of live images is essential without disturbing the sterility and operation routine. The clinical specifications require special systems for broadband, stereoscopic online image transmission both intra- and inter-institutionally.

[Techniques in teleconsultation].

The aim of the new developments in telemedicine is to optimize medical care by the use of new communication technologies. Teleconsultation is a basic component of telemedicine. Telepresence systems demand high-quality video transmissions and interactive communication.

Techniques for endoscopic and non-endoscopic intracorporeal laser applications.

This article deals with various designs of CO2 and Nd:YAG lasers currently used in surgery. It is discussed how their wavelength and beampath characteristics can be utilized in either the contact or the non-contact method to achieve specific clinical aims. These may concern endoscopic procedures, e.