Glossary: Live Surgery

“Live surgery” refers to a live streaming event where a surgical operation is broadcast for an audience of doctors, surgeons, or medical students in training.

In the lexicon of PCO (Professional Congress Organizer), this expression pertains to the organization of scientific meetings and medical congresses, during which professionals gather to update themselves on the latest advancements in a specific cutting-edge surgical technique, with the possibility of watching it live, even if the procedure is taking place on the other side of the world. This training format is extremely useful, significantly contributing to medical-scientific advancements while saving time and costs compared to the travel that would be required for all professionals to attend surgical operations.

To enable this training format, a convention center must be equipped with suitable spaces—both for the setup of screens appropriate for projection and to accommodate a large audience—as well as expert audio-visual technical services, technological equipment that ensures optimal image quality, and a high-speed data network, such as the GARR network available at the Generali Convention Center Trieste.

Thanks to these facilities, in 2023 the center hosted the XXIII International Congress of the Italian Society of Vitreo-Retinal Surgery (GIVRE), with 1,300 participants, including many from abroad. An important moment during the event was the broadcast of several live surgeries involving cutting-edge retinal surgeries performed at the Eye Clinic in Trieste and other centers of excellence in France, England, Poland, Turkey, and Belgium.