In a groundbreaking medical achievement, Professor Prokar Dasgupta successfully performed the first remote surgery in the UK on February 11. The first patient doctors performed the surgery on was Paul Buxton, a 62-year-old stage four cancer patient. He is originally from Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset, UK, although he has lived in Gibraltar for the last 40 years. This pioneering mission used the Toumai Robotic System and took place remotely 1,500 miles away from the patient.
PROFESSOR DASGUPTA was very deftly controlling things from a console in London. All the while, the robot was performing the surgery in Gibraltar. The strong connection was supported through fibre-optic cables, with a 5G backup link providing additional support to ensure a high-quality, seamless experience. A local technical team in Gibraltar was on standby during the entire process to resolve any unforeseen connectivity problems. Luckily, that connection remained strong, ensuring an uninterrupted operation.
Following a shocking prostate cancer diagnosis shortly after Christmas, Buxton faced the prospect of being placed on an NHS waiting list. He was anxious to ensure he left his impression on medical history. So when the opportunity to join this unique trial became available, he leapt at the opportunity!
For his part, Buxton couldn’t be happier with the process. He added that he had been “really well looked after” and was “feeling fantastic” post-op. As he was about to make this revolutionary move toward health, he reflected on how significant his decision to have telesurgery was. Without choosing the telesurgery in Gibraltar, he told us, “I would have had to fly to London, go on the NHS waiting list and probably spend three weeks there for the operation. So I thought: ‘This is a no-brainer.’
This operation launches the second of two test cases. The second use case, happening on March 4, will be with a 52-year-old man in Gibraltar, whose name has not been made public yet. On March 14, Professor Dasgupta will be doing a second procedure. This will be broadcast live to 20,000 of the world’s leading urological surgeons at the European Association of Urology annual congress.
Professor Dasgupta gave his thoughts on this groundbreaking step into telesurgery and how it affects the bigger picture. He stated, “I think it is very, very exciting. The humanitarian benefit is going to be significant.”