Telesurgery was a major theme on the first day of ERUS24, with a roundtable discussion and the sharing of the first experiences of long-distance surgical interventions by this generation’s pioneers. The second live surgery session of the day featured a partial nephrectomy performed by ERUS Chair Prof. Alberto Breda, an historic first for an EAU event: telesurgery from Bordeaux to a patient in Beijing, over 8000km away.
Almost exactly 23 years after the famous and pioneering Lindbergh operation between Strasbourg and New York, France finds itself again at the forefront of a coming surgical revolution. Adoption of sophisticated, mature robotic systems and huge advances in telecommunications will now make telesurgery not only feasible but common in the coming decades, experts forecast. Numerous applications are foreseen, from straightforward remote surgery to collaborative (multiple surgeons, multiple locations) or training use-cases (mentoring, demonstrations).
First case at EAU Event
Just before 13:00 on Wednesday 11 September 2024, Prof. Breda appeared on screen during the second live surgery session at ERUS24, just about to start operating. Not unusual for an ERUS meeting, but what was unusual is that Prof. Breda was wearing a suit and tie, and he was not in OR conditions. After a short introduction to the case, of a 37 year-old male with a 3.5cm tumour, the procedure started and the robot arms started moving in Beijing.
With a latency of 132ms, Prof. Breda said he adapted his usual technique, slowing down slightly, but still a very acceptable experience. He used an Edge robotic system, connected by a dedicated fibre connection. Despite his unfamiliarity with the system, Prof. Breda noted that its capabilities and ergonomics were very similar to established systems, so there was practically no learning curve.
While operating in what seemed like a routine fashion, Prof. Breda commented on his experience, as well as some of the legal procedures to operate on a patient in China (basically a verification of his status as a specialised urologist). He was joined by Chinese team in Bordeaux and in Beijing, in Beijing also accompanied by Dr. Moises Rodriguez Socarras to help with communications. After completing the procedure, Prof. Breda reflected on the historical significance of the moment, hoping to illustrate the international collaboration and great diversity of modern medical practice.
Further coverage of ERUS24 and telesurgery to follow!
