Live interactive broadcast of laparoscopic surgery via the Internet.
BACKGROUND: For the first time in the history of communications, we conducted live interactive broadcasts through the Internet (on August 29, and September 3, 1996). METHODS: Successful transmissions were performed from Pontiac, Michigan, to Laguna Hills, California, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, and participants actively interacted in audio and video formats in real time. RESULTS: Video images were transmitted at a rate of 1-2 frame/s and displayed in a 320 x 240 window at the remote sites. The loss of audio packets averaged 17% with a delay of 0.5-2 s. The broadcasting computer station was also able to receive real-time video and sound from the distant computers, allowing complete interaction between both parties over the duration of each transmission session. Average broadcast time was 1. 5 h +/- 30 min, and the cost of each transmission was equal to that of a regular local phone call. CONCLUSIONS: Videoconferencing via the Internet is a viable method for transmitting information in real time allowing surgeons worldwide to work together during surgical procedures.