Remote robotic surgery is safe from thousands of miles away, say researchers

Credit: Kulpreya Chaichatpornsuk

By Ella Pickover, PA Media and Emma Wilkinson

Surgeons can safely perform two common operations from up to 1,700 miles away, the equivalent of a medic in southern Europe operating on a patient in the UK, according to a study.

To examine whether telesurgery done with a surgical robot operated via a secure telecommunication link was comparable to surgery performed locally using robotic-assisted techniques, researchers from China assessed patients who had a prostatectomy or a partial nephrectomy to remove a kidney tumour.