Beyond Borders: Can Remote Surgery Democratize Care?

Access to safe, timely surgery remains deeply unequal across the world. As robotics, connectivity, and real-time data make remote surgery increasingly feasible, the challenge is no longer just technical, but one of scale, safety, and equity. Can these approaches truly expand access to care in underserved settings? What barriers still stand in the way and how can they be overcome? This session explores what it will take to move beyond experimentation and integrate remote surgery into health systems in a way that strengthens, rather than fragments, global care.