In a first, Chennai doctor uses Google Glass to air ops live

Chennai: When the surgeon's scalpel drew a red line on the patient's abdomen, two blocks away a group of medical students leaned toward their screens. The procedure was a simple hernia operation, but the surgical team members were unusually upbeat as they turned to look at the latest gadget in the operation theatre—the Google Glass worn by their chief. 

    As the medical fraternity in the West debates the usefulness of the newest device produced by Google, doctors in India have joined the chorus with bouquets and brickbats, even as a surgeon in Chennai became the first in India to live-stream a surgery using the Google Glass. On Tuesday, Lifeline Hospitals live-streamed an upper gastro-intestinal laparoscopy on a 45-year-old man and a hernia repair on a 42-year-old woman to medical students two blocks away using Google Glass. 
    "It felt like I was glancing at my rearview mirror while driving. I was focusing on the surgeries and talking to my students at the same time. At one point, I stopped feeling it was an external device," said Dr J S Rajkumar, chief surgeon at Lifeline.Google Glass invites mixed reactions 
Chennai: In a first in the country, Chennai surgeon J S Rajkumar on Tuesday used Google Glass to live-stream two operations he conducted to his students sitting two blocks away. Google Glass is a wearable computer that has a frame similar to traditional eyeglasses. It follows voice commands to take photos and videos that show the viewpoint of the user. 
    The surgeries were livestreamed on Google Hangout as well. Doctors say the gadget is yet another step forward in opening the doors of the operation theatre. 
    "People need to know what is happening behind those doors. This is one more gadget towards that end. Students can see the surgical procedures through their seniors' eyes, quite literally. This is a phenomenal surgical tool," said Dr Rajkumar. He, however,added, "We did face some practical glitches like problems with wi-fi and the battery dying early." 
    Although the gadget is still to hit the market, Google distributed 2,000 of the gizmos earlier this year for testing before its release to the general public. Doctors say the technology could be used to view X-rays, MRI images and other medical information as they conduct surgeries and connect with doctors in far flung places. 
    While some doctors say the device could soon become a fixture in operation theatres, some see it as a distraction. "It's too early to celebrate this as a breakthrough in healthcare tools. Unless it is carefully vetted, it could be a disaster for patients," said Dr R Ravi Kumar, director, institute of cardiovascular disease, robotic surgery centre at Chettinad Health City.