E476 - How Robotic Surgery Is Reviving Rural Hospitals

Robotic surgeon and combat veteran Kyle Sokol, MD, is bringing advanced surgical technology to places many healthcare systems overlook. After training in one of the military’s earliest robotics-focused surgical programs, he sees an opportunity to transform rural medicine by putting powerful tools where access is limited. In this episode, he explores how robotic surgery can expand what small hospitals are capable of, attract surgical talent, strengthen hospital finances, and keep patients closer to home. He also breaks down the evolution from open surgery to laparoscopy to robotics, why some surgeons still resist the technology, and the lessons behind bu...