Robot surgery spans continents in FDA-backed trial

Editor's Note

A Florida-based surgeon successfully performed a prostate cancer surgery on a patient in Angola—7,000 miles away—marking a major milestone in transcontinental robotic telesurgery, according to a June 17 article from ABC News. The procedure, conducted by Dr. Vipul Patel of Advent Health’s Global Robotic Institute, is reportedly the first human clinical trial of its kind approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

As detailed in the article, the patient, Fernando da Silva, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March and underwent the robotic prostatectomy three months later. Patel, who has performed tens of thousands of similar procedures, controlled a robotic system from Orlando while a surgical team remained in the Angolan operating room to intervene if needed.  

ABC News reports that robotic prostatectomy is typically less invasive, more precise, and associated with faster recovery compared to traditional methods. Patel and his team spent two years preparing for the trial, traveling internationally to evaluate technology and putting contingency plans in place. The surgical connection relied on fiber optic cables to enable real-time operation across continents.

According to ABC, Patel sees broad potential for telesurgery to improve access to care in underserved international regions and rural parts of the United States. He also highlighted the value of remote collaboration in emergencies and surgical training.

Recent coverage in OR Manager delves into how robotic, remote surgery has evolved since a groundbreaking operation in 2001, when a surgeon in New York City operated on a patient in Strasbourg, France.