Technology and the Future of the Specialty of Colon and Rectal Surgery: The Next 50 Years

Excerpt

With all of the technological improvements seen in today’s world in communications, business, industry, and entertainment, it is difficult to argue that innumerable changes are not imminent in the surgeon’s world as well. One need only consider the rise of the field of robotics, which first surfaced in the automobile industry. As I will discuss below, the colon and rectal specialist may possess unique skills that put her in an enviable position for a futuristic approach to the specialty. Laparoscopic treatment of colon and rectal problems represents one of the most familiar examples of a recent technological change in the operating room, but most experts would argue that this approach is only in its infancy. Even the operating theater as we currently know it will undergo profound changes in the near future. …