A surgeon based in Florida has successfully executed a prostatectomy on a patient located 11,000 kilometres away in Angola, hailing it ‘a small step for a surgeon, but a huge leap for healthcare’.
It marks a significant advancement in global healthcare access.
This procedure, which represents the first robotic telesurgery conducted in Africa, was led by Dr Vipul Patel, executive director of the Society of Robotic Surgery (SRS).
Dr Patel performed the pioneering surgery as part of the first-ever FDA-approved Investigational New Drug (IND) human clinical trial aimed at testing transcontinental robotic telesurgery.
He said: ‘We’ve been working on this really for two years. We travelled the globe, looking at the right technologies.’
The patient, Fernando da Silva, received a diagnosis of prostate cancer in March and underwent the procedure three months later.
‘It was a small step for a surgeon, but it was a huge leap for healthcare,’ Dr Patel noted, underscoring the significance of this operation.
The procedure was facilitated by over 17,000 kilometres of fibre optic connectivity, showcasing the humanitarian potential of robotic technology in bridging geographical divides.
Dr Patel said: ‘I think the humanitarian implications are enormous. Internationally, obviously, there are so many underserved areas of the world.’
He further explained how rural areas in the US could also benefit from such advancements, allowing surgeons to learn new procedures remotely and offer immediate assistance to patients in critical situations.
In preparation for any unforeseen circumstances, he ensured that his surgical team was present in the operating room in Angola, ready to take over if required.
‘We made sure we had plan A, B, C, and D. I always have my team where the patient is.’
The data collected from this surgery is set to be submitted to the FDA for review, with the hope of expanding the scope of telesurgeries in the future.
Dr Patel added: ‘By being able to operate remotely, we have demonstrated for the first time in Africa the potential route for future humanitarian success. Today was proof of concept with our entire team here; we must proceed with caution and safety in the future.’
