In a world-first medical milestone, Paul Buxton, a 62-year-old cancer patient, became the first person in the world to have robotic surgery while 1,500 miles away. On 11 February, a complex and innovative procedure took place in Gibraltar. The lead surgeon, Professor Prokar Dasgupta—one of London’s leading robotic urological surgeons—worked from the UK.
Buxton, who runs a logistics company and who was born in Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset, moved to Gibraltar forty years ago. Just after Christmas, his life was turned upside down. After learning that he had prostate cancer, he quickly began looking into his treatment options. At first, Buxton was looking at the possibility of being put on a National Health Service (NHS) waiting list. So instead, he decided to join a clinical trial of robotic surgery.
The operation was performed with the Toumai Robotic System, a sophisticated technology aimed at increasing surgical precision. An independent console in the UK took care of the operation. It connected right to the robotic system in Gibraltar over fibre-optic lines. To make sure the operation went smoothly, a secondary 5G link was set up too. On Gibraltar’s end, a local team stayed on standby, ready to help troubleshoot if any connections dropped. Luckily, the link stayed strong the entire time the dredge was in place.
After the procedure, Buxton said he was pleased with the care he’d received. And hooked up, by the way—he said he was “really well looked after”—and was feeling “fantastic.” He explained that it was a “no-brainer” decision to join the robotic surgery trial. What really won him over was the clear benefits it offered over more conventional approaches. Without the trial, Buxton was likely going to have surgery in London. Most of all, he was worried that this could involve three weeks away from home.
This historic procedure is the first of two pilot test cases in this new robotic trailblazing experiment. A second surgery scheduled for March 4th on the unidentified 52-year-old patient, still in Gibraltar. Remote robotic surgery is the stunning demonstration of our capabilities in medical technology. It creates exciting new opportunities for patients who want quick, safe and effective treatment alternatives.