Laparoscopy, minimally invasive and minimal access surgery with more surgeons performing these advanced procedures. We highlight in the review several key emerging technologies such as the telementoring and virtual reality simulators, that provide a solid ground for delivering surgical education to rural area and allow young surgeons a safety net and confidence while operating on a newly learned technique. Core tip: Telemedicine is becoming used more and more in today's surgical practice. We highlight a new low cost telementoring prototype we developed that allows the delivery of better surgical education and delivering specialized expertise to rural areas. Telemedicine is a global term for a computer technology that allows medical information exchange from one location to another via telecommunication. Telemedicine helps in eliminating the distance barriers and provides medical expertise to rural communities.

From this experience, several challenges were identified and addressed. Telementoring may be an effective means of improving adoption of new surgical techniques, ultimately improving patient care.

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Since the initial development of telegraphy by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1837 and the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in 1875, doctors have been able to convey medical information across great distances. The exchange and sharing of medical information has evolved and adapted to suit the vast array of today's medicine. Early adopters of telemedicine within clinical practice have gained significant health economic benefits. The arrival of wireless connections has further enhanced the possibilities for all clinical work with focus on diagnosis, treatment and management of urological cancers, as highlighted in this article.

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