According to a recent study entitled “Operating From a Distance: Robotic Vocal Cord 5G Telesurgery on a Cadaver” published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, an Italian doctor has successfully completed a surgery from 9 miles away! The Italian otorhinolaryngologist utilized 5G and robotic technology which allowed him to operate on a cadaver nearly 10 miles away. The robotic telemicrosurgery was successfully performed on the cadaver patient’s vocal cords and can greatly influence future medicine.
“This type of surgery has the potential for large-scale adoption, revolutionizing health care and surgical treatments around the globe,” according to the authors. “Here, we present a 5G ‘telesurgery’ experience, showing that the remote surgeon can directly operate on the patient using a surgical robotic system and appropriate teleoperation interfaces,” they went on to explain.
The study found that the surgeon had exceptional control over the forceps, surgical robot, and laser and could “confidently perform high-precision laser cordectomies on the cadaver’s vocal cords”.
Sources:
- “Operating From a Distance: Robotic Vocal Cord 5G Telesurgery on a Cadaver” – Annals of Internal Medicine
- Maine Image: (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia / Annals of Internal Medicine)
