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You famously performed the world's first virtual reali-
ty surgery in 2016. How does operating in front of
55,000 viewers in 142 countries compare to routine
surgery?
It's not that much different, believe it or not. The
surgery was one I've routinely performed. It was
conducted as a digital training tool — to teach
and train surgeons from around the globe. All
my operations are teaching experiences. Yes,
there were news reporters and TV cameras in
the OR, but from the moment I held that
scalpel, the audience completely disappeared. It
felt like I was training just a few people close to
me. When I'm performing surgery, when I'm in
that zone, the only thing that matters is the safety
of the patient and to provide the best outcome.
How will technology impact surgery five, 10 or
even 15 years from now?
It will transform patient care in ways we can't even
imagine right now. It's the most exciting time to prac-
tice medicine because technology is making the
world a smaller place, and there are so many oppor-
tunities to make healthcare more equitable. There's
a wonderful convergence of cutting-edge tech-
nologies that are becoming cheaper and more
Q & A
'Virtual Surgeon' Transforms the Reach of Surgery
Shafi Ahmed, PhD, FRCS
The world's most watched surgeon and healthcare futurist.
