Hospital Discharge Following Bariatric Surgery by Telepresence Robot

This is a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial aimed to compare the effectiveness and feasibility of performing the ward round using a telepresence robot vs. a face-to-face ward round to discharge patients after bariatric surgery.

This study is aimed to analyze the effectiveness and feasibility of performing the ward round using a telepresence robot (PadBot U, Inbot Technology Ltd, China), compared to the face-to-face ward round, for hospital discharge after bariatric surgery. Patients who underwent either laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy will be randomized to one of two groups: intervention group - who will be evaluated and discharged, on postoperative day (POD) 2, during ward rounds with the assistant team present, but the telepresent surgeon via robot; and control group - who will be evaluated and discharged, on POD 2, during ward rounds with the whole team physically present. The study main hypothesis is that the ward rounds with the surgeon telepresent by a robot are not inferior to the face to face ward rounds, to evaluate and discharge patients after bariatric surgery.