Robotic Surgery Performed Remotely on Patient 1,500 Miles Away
Source: Slashdot
Remote Robotic Surgery Milestone
“A surgeon in London says he has performed the UK’s first long-distance robotic operation,” reports the BBC, “on a patient located 1,500 miles (2,400 km) away…”
Surgeon and Patient
Leading robotic urological surgeon Professor Prokar Dasgupta described the experience as feeling “almost as if I was there” while carrying out a prostate removal on 62‑year‑old Paul Buxton. Buxton, diagnosed with shock prostate cancer shortly after Christmas, was placed on an NHS waiting list but “jumped at the chance” to be the first patient in the trial. He recalled:
“A lot of people actually said to me: ‘You’re not going to do it, are you?’
I thought, I’m giving something back here.”
Technical Setup
- Location of operation: The London Clinic (UK)
- Remote robot: Gibraltar, equipped with a 3D HD camera and four arms
- Control console: Operated from the UK with a latency of only 0.06 seconds
- Connectivity: Primary fibre‑optic link, with a backup 5G connection
- Safety: A standby team in Gibraltar was ready to intervene if the connection failed; the link remained stable throughout the procedure.
Upcoming Demonstration
Dasgupta plans to repeat the procedure on 14 March, live‑streaming it to 20,000 urological surgeons at the European Association of Urology (EAU) congress.
“I think it is very, very exciting; the humanitarian benefit is going to be significant.”
NHS Robotic Surgery Targets
The UK’s National Health Service is prioritising local robotic‑assisted surgery, aiming for 500,000 robot‑supported operations per year by 2035.
Thanks to Slashdot reader fjo3 for sharing the article.