In a historic medical achievement, a surgeon in London succeeded in performing a prostatectomy on a patient in Gibraltar, using a remote-controlled surgical robot, which represents a qualitative step in the development of robotic surgery over long distances.
The operation was performed on March 4 by Prokar Dasgupta, head of the London Clinic’s Robotic Surgery Centre, on 62-year-old Paul Paxton, who had prostate cancer at St Bernard’s Hospital in Gibraltar.
The surgery relied on the Tomay robotic system, which was entirely managed by a console in London. Despite the patient being about 2,400 kilometers (about 1,500 miles) away, the surgeon was able to direct the robot with high precision, with a very small delay of 48 milliseconds between the surgeon’s movements in London and the robot’s response in Gibraltar, thanks to a secure, high-speed network created by Presidio, according to the “interestingengineering” website.
The robot was placed inside the robotic surgery suite at St. Bernard Hospital, where multiple instruments and a high-resolution 3D camera were inserted. The device succeeded in implementing all steps of the process under the supervision of Dasgupta remotely, in an experiment that is considered a practical example of the ability of modern technology to transcend geographical borders.
Paxton was diagnosed with prostate cancer last January and was offered to take part in a remote surgery trial as part of a collaboration between the London clinic and the Gibraltar Health Authority. The option of traveling to London for the procedure was available, but he chose to undergo the surgery remotely.
“A lot of people said to me, ‘You wouldn’t do that, would you?’ But I felt like I was giving back here,” Paxton commented.
For Dasgupta, this process confirms the ability of advanced communications and robotic systems to treat patients over long distances, adding: “I explained to Paxton that the technology is ready to perform the operation remotely. So why waste time and effort traveling?”
This achievement opens new horizons for patients in areas with limited access to specialized surgeons, where treatment can be received locally, while experts perform operations remotely.
The medical team plans to perform a second remote operation on March 14, during the European Urological Association conference in London, where the operation will be broadcast live to thousands of surgeons around the world, to enhance the remote surgery experience and spread it on a broader scale.
This historic event confirms that the medical future holds amazing possibilities, as remote robotic surgery can make geographical borders a mere number, and ensure that advanced care reaches any patient wherever they are.
