Remote surgery across continents exists today, so why isn't it widespread in the United States?
Dr. Omar Al-Kalaa spent 15 years at FDA's Office of Science, Engineering and Laboratories, where he became the bridge between telecom operators, medical device manufacturers, and regulators. His work on wireless coexistence and 5G connectivity shaped how next-generation networks intersect with medical device safety. He convened 70+ stakeholders to create the Landscape Analysis of 5G in Healthcare and developed new evaluation methods for connected medical systems.
In this conversation, Omar reveals why your continuous glucose monitor competes with Netflix for wireless spectrum, what's actually preventing telesurgery in the U.S., and how he's continuing to advance connectivity innovation through his company Inovectrum.
Timestamps:
[00:00:30] Introduction to Dr. Omar Al-Kalaa
[00:02:50] Remote surgery: Science fiction or reality?
[00:08:10] The Lindbergh Operation: First transatlantic telesurgery
[00:15:25] How Omar convened the 5G healthcare working group
[00:16:15] FDA's Office of Science, Engineering and Laboratories: Future-proofing the agency
[00:22:30] Building the Medical Device Innovation Consortium working group
[00:26:10] The Landscape Analysis of 5G in Healthcare
[00:34:30] Wireless coexistence: Why your glucose monitor competes with Netflix
[00:42:55] Omar's journey from PhD to FDA to entrepreneurship
[00:45:30] Launching ECTRA and the future of connectivity innovation
[00:49:35] Rapid-fire questions
Follow Shannon and Omar:
Connect with Shannon:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonlantzy
Website: https://www.shannonlantzy.com/
Connect with Omar:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omar-al-kalaa/
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inovectrum/
