Chinese doctors conduct first-of-its-kind remote robotic surgery
- The surgery was performed through a set of robotic arms
- It was done through the help of 5G network and low latency
- The surgeon and the patients were on different continents
Published on Jun 15, 2024 at 3:19 PM (UTC+4)
by Nalin Rawat
Last updated on Jun 15, 2024 at 3:19 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Siddharth Dudeja
A Chinese doctor performed a landmark remote robotic surgery on a patient in Beijing while being in another country.
The surgeon managed to execute a live transcontinental remote robotic surgery while in Rome.
Imagine what this technology can do to serve people living in inaccessible areas during worldwide emergencies and pandemics.
READ MORE! Scientists have developed a shape-shifting humanoid robot that can liquefy itself
Remote robotic surgery makes a breakthrough
The Chinese surgeon crossed continental borders to perform a remote robotic prostate removal.
Known as Telesurgery, this procedure uses a surgical console and a set of robotic arms.
It seems like healthcare is adopting more and more unconventional technologies to help treat patients even better than before.
Recently, we also saw a doctor using an Apple Vision Pro headset during surgery.
The remote robotic surgery was performed across 8,000 km (about 5,000 miles) through a set of robotic arms with the help of a 5G network and fiber-optic connections.
“Telesurgery is one of the most important development directions in the future of surgery,” said doctor Zhang Xu, who performed the surgery.
“The biggest problem with remote surgery is communication, and whether there is a delay. Today’s surgery basically has no delay and is almost the same as on-site surgery,” he added.
It’s not the first time that China has made strides in healthcare technology.
The country is also working on the world’s first AI hospital with robot doctors.
Telesurgery is the future
The surgeon was able to remove a lesion on the prostate of a cancer patient thanks to remote robotic surgery.
All of this was possible thanks to the country’s 5G telecommunication network, which helped lower the delay to 135 milliseconds.
Now, imagine what we might be able to accomplish with a 6G network with the potential to be 100 times faster than 5G.
Remote surgeries can even help provide aid and save lives during natural disasters.
Nalin Rawat
Nalin started his career by working with various national newspapers in India. He has also worked as a writer/editor for many popular websites, while still pursuing his journalism and mass communication degree. Working as a digital nomad has allowed him to inform and educate through his work. When he is not writing, you can find him playing video games or travelling the mountains on his bike.
