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A Florida man had a cancerous prostate removed with a robot that was remotely controlled by a doctor stationed miles away — in a groundbreaking telerobotic surgery that officials are touting as the first of its kind in the US.
The surgeon, Dr. Vipual Patel, operated the machine from a location in suburban Orlando, carrying out a prostatectomy while 66-year-old patient Mark went under the knife 35 miles away in Minneola, according to the Global Robotics Institute at Advent Health.
Patel, founder and medical director of the Global Robotics Institute, believes the procedure could usher in “a new era of surgery.”
“For generations, access to highly specialized care has often depended on where a patient lives,” Patel said in a statement.
The surgery was performed after 10 other investigation telesurgeries were conducted between Orlando, Florida and Luanda, Angola, though AdventHealth said this was the first attempted fully in the US.
“This study allows us to evaluate whether telesurgery could one day help reduce geographic barriers to specialized treatment,” Patel said.
The patient was monitored by a fellow surgeon while the robotic operation was carried out, AdventHealth said, telling ABC he’s still doing well after the operation.
But the success of the operation doesn’t mean the procedure is ready for mass adoption just yet, according to the medical practitioners.
The procedure was carried out thanks to an exemption by the Food and Drug Administration, and its success doesn’t mean it’s been deemed safe, AdventHealth said.
Practitioners also warned that the procedure still carries risks associated with a normal prostatectomy, and that cybersecurity risks and connectivity failure are still being evaluated.
But medical professions have high-hopes for the technology.
“The future will be defined by how we combine human expertise, robotics and technology to push the boundaries of what is possible for patients around the world,” Patel said.
