February 11, 2022 marked the beginning of a new era in medical surgery. 62-year-old prostate cancer patient Paul Buxton made history as the first person to ever receive robotic surgery from miles away. The procedure, led by Professor Prokar Dasgupta from London, was carried out 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) away in Gibraltar. Surgeons conducted a revolutionary surgery with the new generation Toumai Robotic System. This complex procedure was included as part of a test run to find the possibilities of new remote surgical techniques.
Paul Buxton runs a transport company and has lived in Gibraltar for 40 years after moving from Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset. Following his diagnosis of prostate cancer, he did everything in his power to pursue surgical treatments. He told NPR that he was excited to be a part of what he’s calling “medical history.” Despite the uncertainty, he says his decision to join the trial was a “no-brainer.” Buxton said he was “really well looked after” after the operation. “The day after I am feeling fantastic.”
Thanks to this innovative telesurgery, Buxton didn’t have to make the time-consuming trip to London. He avoided the NHS waiting list, which would have otherwise locked him in for up to three weeks. Requiring fewer trips and allowing him to have such a complex surgery done close to home greatly increased convenience and continuity of care for the patient.
Throughout the surgery, Professor Dasgupta was using a console in London to control the robot. He operated the robotic system in Gibraltar over fiber-optic cables and a redundant 5G connection. He said it was the closest experience to being there, without actually being there. Just how innovative was this technology that allowed him to conduct the surgery remotely? A specially trained medical team from Gibraltar was on hand and prepared to assist at a moment’s notice during the procedure. Fortunately, the bond proved almost unbreakable and supremely consistent.
As a continuation of this ongoing test run, Professor Dasgupta is set to conduct another remote surgery on March 14. In all, this new specialty procedure will be live-streamed to 20,000 of the most influential urological surgeons from 150 countries. They will see the most important breakthrough of surgical practice at the European Association of Urology congress.
Buxton’s case was far from the only success. On March 4, a second test case – this one with a 52-year-old man – occurred in Gibraltar, confirming that remote robotic surgeries are possible.