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NSF PR 02-61 - July 17, 2002
Telemedicine Link With South Pole Allows Remote
Knee Surgery
In a groundbreaking telemedicine development, doctors
in Massachusetts earlier this month helped a physician
at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station to surgically
repair the damaged knee of a meteorologist spending
the winter in Antarctica.
Using a "telemedicine" connection operated by Raytheon
Polar Services Co. (RPSC) of Centennial, Colo., orthopedic
surgeon Bertram Zarins and anesthesiologist Vicki
Modest, both of Massachusetts General Hospital in
Boston, helped South Pole physician Dr. Timothy Pollard
to suture a damaged tendon in the left knee of RPSC
employee Dar Gibson in a two-hour operation July 5
(EDT). Gibson injured his knee in a fall.
RPSC is the National Science Foundation's logistical
support contractor in Antarctica.
The U.S. Antarctic Program has used two-way voice and
video links between the U.S. and Antarctica to assist
in medical procedures, but this is the first time
in the program's nearly 50-year history that telemedicine
has been used for surgery. Doctors are assigned to
all three U.S.-operated, year-round stations in Antarctica
but the medical facilities there are not designed
for surgery.
The operation's success marks a milestone in efforts
to use telecommunications to improve the medical services
available to those who must spend the long austral
winter at one of the world's most remote scientific
stations. "The health and safety of our people comes
first and I'm grateful that the skills of all concerned
could be combined so effectively with 21st century
technology to meet this challenge," said Karl Erb,
who heads NSF's Office of Polar Programs. "Our thoughts
are with the patient. We wish him a speedy and complete
recovery."
NSF, which manages the U.S. Antarctic Program, conducts
leading-edge research at the pole in a variety of
disciplines and is rebuilding the only scientific
station there. Because of its location high on the
Polar Plateau and at the Earth's axis, Amundsen-Scott
is a world-class astrophysical observatory. It also
has some of the world's cleanest air, making it a
natural laboratory for studying environmental chemistry.
The 51 people spending the austral winter (February
through November) at the station are unable to leave
because extreme cold and darkness prevents aircraft
landings. NSF officials judged an evacuation of Gibson
as too risky to aircrews. Instead, a panel of physicians
in the U.S. explored a variety of options for treating
the injury using digital x-rays sent via the telemedicine
link and a live video transmission of Gibson's knee
examination.
After consulting with Drs. Zarins and Modest as well
as other nationally recognized medical experts from
the University of Texas Medical Branch, Johns Hopkins
University, and other institutions and with RPSC officials,
Gibson received a range of treatment options. He agreed
to the surgery judged to be the best option for restoring
the maximum mobility to the damaged knee.
Dr. Pollard carried out the operation at approximately
9 p.m. (EDT) July 5, with the help of physician assistant
Tom Barale (who monitored the anesthesia) and other
station personnel. Gibson is recovering and has begun
physical therapy.
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