Chinese surgeons have used a surgical robotic system and a high-speed satellite to perform five operations on patients thousands of kilometres away from them, according to China Global Television Network (CGTN), China’s global news  broadcaster.

The surgeons, who were based in the Chinese cities of Lhasa, Dali and Sanya, performed procedures on the Beijing patients’ liver, pancreas and gallbladder.

“The surgeon’s movements would be translated into data, which would be sent up to the satellite, then down to the robotic system working on the patient,” according to CGTN.

“Feedback data would then be sent in the opposite direction. All in all, the data would travel nearly 150,000 kilometers, and yet the surgeons could do their jobs as if they were in the same room as their patients.”

The Apstar-6D broadband communication satellite was the conduit for the surgeons’ movements. Satellites are faster and more stable than ground-based systems.

“This series of remote surgeries spanned China’s mountains and straits, demonstrating the feasibility, safety and effectiveness of performing complex long-distance operations using home-grown satellite technologies and robotic systems,” according to CGTN.

China has raised the possibility that such technology can be used to operate on people in dangerous conflict zones.

“The technology could connect patients with surgeons in ways we’ve never seen before. For example, it’s possible that doctors could treat injured soldiers without going anywhere near the front line,” the CGTN report noted.

However, patients still need to be in a health facility with sophisticated infrastructure including the surgical robotic systems. 

“There may be some way to go, but these operations suggest that one day, a satellite surgeon could save someone’s life.”

Image Credits: China Global Television Network (CGTN).