Remote surgeries using 5G robotics done concurrently in three hospitals
Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital on Wednesday carried out the nation's first four-region, 5G long-distance robotic artificial joint-replacement surgery consultations and guidance.
Dr Zhang Xianlong, from Shanghai Sixth, directed the surgery at Shanghai Sixth and three hospitals in Fujian, Hainan and Zhejiang provinces through intelligent technology medical systems in the morning.
Before surgery, patients' information and medical records were sent to the Shanghai experts who supervised the whole process while doctors conducted the robotic surgery in other provinces.
"Precise positioning, minimally invasive techniques and individualized surgery design are the key elements for good orthopedic surgery," Zhang said.
"Compared with human-conducted surgery, robot-assisted operations can achieve more precise procedures and smaller cuts to soft tissue, avoid injuries to important tissues, and reduce the possibility for revision surgery," Zhang said.
"Pre-surgery 3D modeling of surgery areas also allows doctors to have a better understanding of patients to design and practice on positions, angles and cuts before the operation," he added.
Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital fulfilled the nation's first robotic knee joint replacement surgery in 2016. So far, it has completed over 180 robotic hip and 170 knee joint replacement surgeries.
Zhang Changqing, vice president of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, said its 5G technology can help achieve multicenter surgeries at the same time, a first for the nation.
It enables big cities to introduce high-end medical resources to rural areas and allow more grassroots hospitals to conveniently share excellent medical resources to improve the nation's overall clinical ability.
Medical experts at Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital direct medical staff in its own hospital and three hospitals in other provinces to carry out robotic joint replacement surgeries on Wednesday morning.
Technology used to monitor robotic surgeries.
