At a urology conference in Bordeaux in September, two surgeons performed an operation on patients in China using robots. An impressive technique that could help address many challenges in the future.
The patient is in China, but the surgeon's hands are in Bordeaux. At a conference in Gironde organized in September by the section of the European Association of Urology specializing in robotics, two surgeons, one of whom is French, demonstrated how they were able to operate on their patients 8,700 km away, without any problems.
Two urology operations carried out in Beijing
The first operation was performed on September 11 on a 37-year-old patient in Beijing to remove a 3.5-centimeter tumor from his kidney. Professor Alberto Breda, a Spanish surgeon, operated via robot from Bordeaux, " in a suit and tie," he jokes.
Then, it was Dr. Richard Gaston, a urologist in Bordeaux, who delivered impressive images of a 1h10 operation on a 51-year-old man with prostate cancer, also in Beijing. In the calm of his “control” room, he indicated to the robot on site the movements to be carried out in the patient’s body.
In both cases, the Fundació Puigvert, the Barcelona health center, and the urology center in Madrid where the two doctors work, have indicated that the patients are recovering completely normally.
Telesurgery made possible via an internet connection
How is it possible to operate thousands of kilometers away? On BFMTV, Richard Gaston explains that he needs a reliable internet connection and his high-performance robots.
"The movements of the surgeon's hand are reproduced by instruments that are inside a patient who, in this case, was in Beijing. Between the movements of the surgeon and the movements of the instrument inside the patient, there is simply a delay of 130 milliseconds, which is practically not perceptible to the naked eye."
Telesurgery, as it is called, is not new.
In 2001, Professor Jacques Marescaux had already ordered a gallbladder removal from New York on a patient in Strasbourg. However, this is the first time that it has been performed at this distance. And yet, “We had the impression that we were operating at home and being two meters from the patient,” the surgeon adds calmly.
Bringing skills together through telesurgery
Beyond the technological feat, this announcement demonstrates many advantages. The Chinese patient, for example, was able to benefit from the expertise of the Bordeaux doctor, whom he did not have at home. " I was really able to perform a sophisticated procedure to allow the patient not to lose his urine, to maintain his sexuality and above all to be cured," says Richard Gaston.
The technique could also help less experienced surgeons, to receive a "helping hand" from a mentor, wherever he is. Finally, this type of remote operation would allow low-income countries to invest and train surgeons remotely to ultimately " equalize disparities in health care," the press release states.