[Possibilities of telecommunications in surgery].

In contrast to telesurgery, telepresence involves only the audiovisual dialogue between the local surgeon and a remote expert; the latter, however, is able to actively monitor the operation by giving his judgement and recommendations. Under clinical conditions, telepresence may have the potential to facilitate intraoperative consultation of remote experts or even tele-assistance. Technical requirements consist of a suitable telemanipulation device (remotely controlled camera and indicator) and a high-duty communication system for real-time transmission of the operating site and the control signal. A minimum of 2 Mbyte/s of transmission capacity is recommended.