In a groundbreaking medical achievement, Professor Prokar Dasgupta became the first person in the UK to successfully carry out a long-distance robotic surgery. The ambitious and important operation took place on Feb. 11. The living patient, 62-year-old Paul Buxton, was found a whopping 1,500 miles away—in Gibraltar. Using the cutting-edge Toumai Robotic System, Professor Dasgupta was able to perform a remote prostate removal procedure.
Paul Buxton is originally from Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset. He has lived since last September in Gibraltar, and was diagnosed with prostate cancer just after Christmas. Despite the grim diagnosis, he was undeterred and ready to try new treatment paradigms. When offered the opportunity to become the first patient enrolled in this groundbreaking trial, he eagerly accepted.
The entire operation hinged on a UK-based console. It linked to the robotic system in Gibraltar through fibre-optic cables, with a secondary 5G connection established as a fail-safe. A dedicated team in Gibraltar remained on standby throughout the procedure to ensure seamless connectivity, which held steady without any interruptions.
“I think it is very, very exciting, the humanitarian benefit is going to be significant.” – Professor Prokar Dasgupta
Following his successful surgery, Buxton expressed gratitude towards everyone involved in the process. He told me he was feeling “really well looked after” and was “feeling fantastic.” His positive experience underscores just how amazing remote robotic surgery could be. She added that this technology provides new hope to patients who don’t have easy access to large, specialized medical facilities.
The success of this operation paves the way for a second procedure planned for March 14. During the next statewide operation, Professor Dasgupta will be doing a prostate removal remotely. This very special surgery will be broadcast in real time to 20,000 urological surgeons attending the congress of the European Association of Urology. This exciting event will be a high-energy collaborative environment fostering the exchange of ideas and innovative solutions to complex challenges in urological surgery.
This present initiative constitutes one of two proof-of-concept pilot projects in this historic whift. The second case will be an unnamed 52-year-old male who will be undergoing the same procedure on March 4 in Gibraltar. Such remote operations would be far more complex and could change the practice of major surgery across vast distances. Their potential for improving access to novel therapies for patients globally is promised.
