Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic: remote coaching in bariatric surgery

Background: The development of fast internet connection has stimulated different types of video-assisted teaching programs. However, a remote mentoring with the proctor not on site has never been reported in bariatric surgery. We described our experiences with remote telementoring for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Methods: A qualified general surgeon at the beginning of his bariatric practice performed a series of 8 laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomies (LSG) while tutored by an experienced bariatric surgeon connected from a different city through a specific videoconferencing platform. Data on demographics at baseline, operative time, hospital stay, intraoperative early, and late complications were collected. Results: Mean age and BMI of patients were 36.9 ± 9.6 years old and 41.8 ± 1.7 kg/m2. All procedures were carried out without conversion to open or complications. Mean operative time was 112.4 ± 21.9 min while the hospital stay was 3.5 ± 0.5 days. Operative time significantly decreased after the fourth operation. Conclusions: Remote coaching appears to be possible and safe for LSG.