Surgeons Successfully Conduct Remote Operations from 1,700 Miles Away Using Robotic Systems
In a groundbreaking development for modern medicine, surgeons can now safely perform two common surgical procedures from distances of up to 1,700 miles away, according to a significant new study. This remarkable capability effectively means a medical specialist based in southern Europe could operate on a patient in the United Kingdom using advanced robotic technology.
Examining the Feasibility of Telesurgery
The research, published in The BMJ, focused on telesurgery—a cutting-edge technique that enables medical professionals to operate on patients remotely. This is achieved through a surgical robot connected via a secure, high-quality video link. Academics from China initiated the study, noting that robust evidence confirming the reliability of this method had previously been "scarce".
The primary objective was to determine whether telesurgery could achieve outcomes that were comparable to, or "non-inferior" to, those from robotic-assisted surgery performed locally with the surgeon physically present. The specific procedures investigated were:
- Prostatectomy: The surgical removal of the prostate gland.
- Partial nephrectomy: A procedure involving the removal of a kidney tumour.
Study Methodology and Key Findings
In the randomised controlled trial, 72 patients were assigned to receive either telesurgery or conventional local surgery. The main measure of success was the surgical outcome. The researchers concluded that telesurgery "was not inferior to local surgery in terms of the probability of surgical success".
Critically, the telesurgery system demonstrated stability across distances ranging from 1,000 kilometres to 2,800 kilometres—equivalent to approximately 621 to 1,740 miles. The authors highlighted that telesurgery has evolved over more than three decades, progressing from conceptual inception to advanced clinical exploration.
They stated: "As the first randomised controlled trial in the field of telesurgery, this study establishes that its reliability is non-inferior to that of conventional local surgery."
Potential Applications and Cautious Optimism
The findings hold particular importance for rural hospitals that lack specialist surgeons on-site, as well as for providing care in challenging environments such as disaster zones or conflict areas. However, the researchers emphasised the need for much larger studies to confirm and build upon these initial results.
Commenting on the research, Professor Naeem Soomro, a professor of urology and member of the council of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, described telesurgery as an "exciting advancement". He noted it offers surgeons greater flexibility, access to specialist expertise, and the ability to operate remotely in real time, even from the other side of the world.
Professor Soomro added a note of caution, however: "While early findings suggest that telesurgery may be feasible for selected urological procedures, caution is needed before any wider adoption... The risks to patients therefore are not yet fully understood, and current findings do not yet show that it matches the safety and effectiveness of standard robotic surgery in routine clinical practice."
He pointed out that a full assessment must extend beyond technical feasibility to consider long-term clinical outcomes, cost-effectiveness, workforce training, and patient experience—areas not addressed in this initial study. With strong governance and further comparative research, telesurgery could in time become a scalable alternative rather than simply an additional tool in the surgical arsenal.
