In a pioneering medical achievement, Paul Buxton, a 62-year-old cancer patient from Gibraltar, underwent a robotic prostate removal surgery conducted by Professor Prokar Dasgupta in London on February 11. This pioneering surgery was performed 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) away in a medical campus connected by cutting-edge telesurgery technology.
After being diagnosed with prostate cancer and seeking different treatment options, Buxton discovered the telesurgery trial. As the owner of a maritime transport company in Gibraltar, he believed the forward-thinking move was a “no-brainer.” He was thrilled with the prospect of making “medical history.” Despite others’ concerns about how it could endanger him—both personally and professionally—he decided to do it.
The operation employed the Toumai Robotic System to link a console in London with the robotic surgical unit in Gibraltar. It did all this using traditional fiber-optic cables along with a backup 5G link. A small but impressive team in Gibraltar were on hand 24/7, just in case lost connections needed to be chased down. Fortunately, the system held up smoothly through the entire operation.
“I think it is very, very exciting, the humanitarian benefit is going to be significant,” stated Professor Dasgupta, highlighting the potential impact of this technology on future medical procedures.
Originally from Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset, Buxton moved to Gibraltar 40 years ago. Lastly, he told the Committee that he appreciated the specialized care he received during his operation. He said he was “extremely well cared for” and felt “great” after the operation. Without the telesurgery trial, Buxton would have needed to fly to London. He would then be forced to endure a long wait on the National Health Service (NHS) waiting list for treatment.
This successful surgery represented an important step forward—not just for Buxton but for Gibraltar’s fledgling healthcare system. The capacity to perform intricate medical interventions at a distance would dramatically improve patient access to specialized treatment.
Looking forward, we’re thrilled to have Professor Dasgupta performing a complex telesurgery procedure on March 14. From there, he will be live-streaming that surgical encounter to an audience of 20,000 leading urological surgeons across the globe.
While this remote surgery is indeed a fantastic accomplishment, it is actually not the first of its kind. UK surgeons recently completed the world’s first 4,000-mile transatlantic robotic procedure on a cadaver. This extraordinary achievement serves to illustrate the tremendous evolution of surgical technology.