Orlando surgeon performs telerobotic-assisted surgery over 7,000 miles away

Telerobotic-assisted surgery performed over 7,000 miles away

An Orlando-based doctor is paving the way for tele-robotic-assisted surgery globally. AdventHealth’s Dr. Vipul Patel and his team have just completed a robotic radical prostatectomy on a patient over 7,000 miles away in Africa.

What we know:

ORLANDO, Fla. - Dr. Vipul Patel, Director of the Global Robotics Institute at AdventHealth, is among the top in his field.

Patel is closing in on his 20,000 tele-robotic-assisted surgeries, but this is one he will never forget. His patient on June 14 wasn’t in the same room as him, not even the same country. The man Patel operated on was more than 7,000 miles away in Angola, Africa.

According to Patel, the patient, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer, underwent a prostatectomy. The procedure lasted 90 minutes and was successful.

What we don't know:

While the surgery was a success, questions remain about how soon tele-surgery will become a viable global solution. Long-term outcomes for remote patients and consistent reliability of network connections have yet to be thoroughly vetted under broader, real-world conditions.

What they're saying:

The groundbreaking surgery is putting Orlando on the map in the medical field, but its impact is what Patel really cares about.

"Right now, Orlando is the epicenter for tele-surgery – it’s a new innovation that will have global implications," Patel said. "Remote areas, underserved areas, poorer areas now have access potentially to very high-end technology and very skilled surgeons."

How It Works:

Robotic medical machines cost millions of dollars, and the tech is top tier, but assuring the systems are reliable intercontinentally is pretty basic, said Patel.

"We actually use direct fiber – cable," Patel said. "That’s cable connecting from Orlando to Miami… Miami all the way down to Brazil, then directly across the ocean to Angola."

What's next:

Patel and his team planned this surgery for years. He anticipated almost every outcome – except the global spotlight following their success.

"We had people sending us [correspondence] saying we think this is something that is revolutionary – it will change how we do medicine," Patel said. "It opens up humanitarian borders for healthcare."

Patel and his team aim to successfully complete nine more tele-robotic surgeries to finish the clinical trial. If all goes to plan, he said after that, they hope to branch out to other countries to provide care.

According to Patel, multiple countries have already reached out requesting to be part of the network.

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