Tablet computers in surgery

The use of tablet computers in surgery has been increasing due to a number of reasons, such as ahighly portable build, useful clinical software and wireless connectivity. Tablet computers can beused in surgical consultations, operating theatres, post-operative care and surgical education.Current intra-operative uses are mainly in thoracic, orthopaedic and ophthalmic surgery where itwas shown to improve surgical performance and safety. Tablet computers also play a key role insurgical consultation and telerounding via means of videoconferencing. This allows for bettercommunication between doctors and patients and improves care delivery. Furthermore, teleround-ing can facilitate rapid post-operative review by surgeons, which can increase patient turnover,resulting in financial benefits for the hospital. In addition, virtual dissection software on tabletcomputers improves surgical anatomy teaching, reduces the need for cadavers and simplifies theprocess of dissection.