Surgeons at Swedish in Seattle perform knee surgery to a live internet audience.

Surgeons from the Swedish Orthopedic Institute are showcasing their new robotic-assisted technology by streaming live a knee-replacement surgery on the internet, complete with live chat.

This is the first time that Swedish has streamed a surgery live on the internet, and it offers a glimpse of not only the latest medical technology, but also a look at how the competitive health-care industry is using advances in streaming technology and social media tools to market their brand and services.

The operation, complete with play-by-play commentary from orthopedic surgeon James Crutcher, will begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday Seattle time (Note: Dr. Crutcher WILL NOT be taking part in the actual surgery).

Swedish says the live webcast will give the (non-squeamish) public a virtual “front-row seat" to witness the advances in surgical technology. Surgeon Sean Toomey will repair the knee of the patient, a 70-year-old guy who has had a history of arthritic. The patient has consented to having his operation streamed, and Dr. Toomey can cut off the live feed any time he deems necessary.

Swedish says viewers can send questions during the operation using the live chat features or via Twitter using hash tag #livekneesurgery.

Swedish is the first hospital in the region to have the robotic technology that lets surgeons repair only the arthritic part of a knee without sacrificing the entire knee joint. The technology allows doctors to perform a minimally invasive procedure through a two- to three- inch incision, which allows the surgeon to preserve as much of the patient's natural bone and tissue as possible. Patients have less scarring and blood loss, a shorter hospital stay and quicker recovery.

The presentation got a late start after a glitch with Ustream that kept viewers from seeing the video at the start. Swedish switched over to justin.tv, using the live chat and Twitter to update waiting viewers. Swedish plans to make the video available from the live surgery later Tuesday.