BRITISH surgeons say they have carried out remote robotic surgery for the first time.
Paul Buxton, 62, had a prostate cancer operation at home in Gibraltar performed by a surgeon in London.
He says he felt “fantastic” just four days after the surgery and it saved him a three-week trip to the UK.
Surgeon Professor Prokar Dasgupta, at The London Clinic, controlled a robotic surgical system over the internet on Wednesday this week.
The same kind of robot would have been used if he had done the surgery in person, and there was a delay of just 0.06 seconds between London and the Rock.
The machine is controlled with hand instruments like a games console and the surgeon watches what is happening on a screen.
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A team of surgeons were ready in the room to carry on the op at St Bernard’s Hospital in Gibraltar in case the connection failed.
Prof Dasgupta said: “The surgery was a milestone and it went extremely well.
“The robot is completely controlled from a console using high-speed lines with a time delay of only 60 milliseconds.
“The time delay between the two sides fools my brain into thinking I’m in Gibraltar.
“I think it is very exciting and the humanitarian benefit is going to be significant.
“This gives us the opportunity to treat patients in remote areas and smaller communities by literally being able to take the best surgeon anywhere.”
Prostate cancer is one of the most advanced areas in robotic surgery and bots are used to speed up operations and reduce side effects.
Mr Buxton, originally from Burnham-On-Sea, Somerset, was diagnosed with prostate cancer around Christmas.
It is the most common form of the disease and affects 55,000 men per year in the UK but survival chances are good if it is caught early.
Transport company owner Mr Buxton said: “As far as surgeons are concerned we’ve gone from the Championship to the Champions League.
“If I hadn’t gone for the telesurgery then I would have had to fly to London, go on the NHS waiting list, get the procedure done and I would have probably been in London for three weeks.
“So I thought this was a no-brainer.
“It is pioneering for Gibraltar, because you don’t need to leave.
“Normally for any major surgeries you end up having to go to either London or Madrid.
“It’s been a privilege to be part of medical history.”
HEALTH CHIEF WES: ROBOT TECH SAVED MY LIFE
HEALTH Secretary Wes Streeting is keen on robotic surgery after it saved his life.
He said: “I know from first-hand experience how technological advances in the health service can benefit patients.
“After I was diagnosed with kidney cancer, the NHS saved my life with an operation led by a world-class surgeon being helped by a robot.
“Innovation like robot-assisted surgery isn’t science fiction, it’s the future of the health service.
“Through our Plan for Change, we are taking the NHS into the digital age and arming it with the high-tech kit it needs to slash waiting lists and get patients treated on time again.”
