- A doctor in Florida successfully performed a prostatectomy on a patient in Africa using transcontinental robotic telesurgery.
- Dr. Vipul Patel, medical director of the Global Robotic Institute at Orlando's Advent Health, operated on Fernando da Silva, 67, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March.
- The surgery, performed in June, was a success and marked the first patient in a human clinical trial approved by the Food and Drug Administration for this technology.
- Patel used fibre optic cables to bridge the thousands of miles, noting no perceptible delay in control, with a surgical team present with the patient as a backup.
- The doctor highlighted the enormous humanitarian implications, suggesting the technology could benefit underserved areas globally and rural communities in the U.S.
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