In another pioneering medical first, Professor Prokar Dasgupta performed the world’s first prostate… That helped him successfully treat Paul Buxton, a 62-year-old cancer patient living in Gibraltar—1,500 miles away. Just a day prior, on February 11, the UK had its first long-distance robotic operation. This historical procedure used the state of the art Toumai Robotic System.
They operated the mission from a console in London. The console that connected to the robotic system in Gibraltar via fiber-optic cables. A dedicated secondary 5G link guaranteed no drop in communication even while performing surgery. This operation was a dry run, being the first of two dry-run test cases. The second procedure, scheduled for March 4, will still involve a 52-year-old man.
When Paul Buxton found out he had prostate cancer just after Christmas, he decided to take action and get treated right away. He decided to enroll in the clinical trial. This innovative method of grafting teeth inspired him more than sitting on the NHS waiting list. Reflecting back on his decision, he stated, “Had I not chosen telesurgery in Gibraltar, I would have had to fly to London. I then would have been placed on the NHS waiting list, get the procedure done, and probably spend three weeks in London. So I thought: ‘This is a no-brainer.’
According to Professor Dasgupta, one of the most-jubilant cheerleaders of this transformational technology, the ramifications—especially on humanitarian grounds—could be monumental. He said, “I think it’s incredibly, incredibly exciting, the humanitarian impact is going to be huge.”
Post-op, Buxton said he felt “fantastic.” He pointed out that throughout the process, he was “really well looked after.” He wrote that participating in the trial was an opportunity to leave a legacy in medical history. He immediately “leapt at the opportunity” to get involved in a procedure like that, which is as innovative as it gets.
Don’t forget that our very own Professor Dasgupta will be doing another telesurgery on March 14. This cutting edge procedure will be broadcast live to 20,000 of the world’s top urological surgeons at the European Association of Urology congress. This live surgical demonstration is a breathtaking showcase of remote surgery’s potential. Without a doubt, it has the ability to transform the way we care for patients, even remotely.