A remote robotic surgery for the first time in the world was completed in China at an altitude of more than 4500 meters above sea level in the city of Nagqu in the autonomous region of Xizang. The procedure, performed using a 5G network, was made possible despite the difficult terrain conditions and the long distance between the medical teams.
The surgery connected two hospitals located about 4000 kilometers apart.
The teams managed to work in real time using advanced technology and complete the procedure successfully.
The main innovation lies in the use of the 5G network.
Remote robotic surgeries were performed before through regular internet.
Here the use of 5G reduces distance gaps and allows a smoother and safer operation.
In many countries the geographical distances create a real need for remote robotic medicine. In China and in the United States there are huge areas where patients do not have immediate access to skilled doctors. In procedures such as brain catheterization, which require very high expertise, it can take two hours or more to fly a patient to a suitable hospital. This is where the potential of robotic systems based on internet and 5G lies to allow immediate treatment even in remote areas.
The extreme terrain conditions made the surgery a real challenge. This included the stability of the robotic equipment, the quality and speed of the 5G communication, and the physical aspects of the medical teams working in a low oxygen environment. To overcome the difficulties the hospitals cooperated with communication providers, performed many tests and simulations, and ensured that the systems would work stably even in unusual conditions.
The teams dedicated weeks to preparation that included a complete study of the patient’s medical condition, building a personalized surgical plan, and repeated practice of the procedure until it was perfect.
The procedure demonstrates that even under very difficult conditions it is possible to share advanced medical resources and provide high quality health services in distant areas. The accumulated experience may open the door to even more complex surgeries and eventually change the face of emergency medicine in remote regions.
This is a significant breakthrough in remote robotic surgeries using 5G and it indicates the direction of global medicine. Just as today there are remote medical consultations and tests, in the future complex surgical procedures will also be performed remotely. It is clear that this is an inseparable part of the future of medicine.