Telesurgery performed in Jiangsu for Romanian patient 8000km away

On the evening of April 1, 2025, doctors at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University in Suzhou completed a curative surgery for a lung cancer patient in Romania, more than 8,000 kilometers away. Using a surgical robot system developed in China and supported by a stable 5G network, the team performed a right upper lobectomy.

After two hours of intense work, the surgery was completed around 1 a.m. on April 2, with teams at both ends exchanging a quiet sense of relief and celebration. This was the first cross-continental surgery of its kind using a single-port robot.

This achievement followed months of careful planning involving more than 40 medical staff from both countries. Despite the distance and a five-hour time difference, the 5G connection maintained an average latency of just 107 milliseconds, allowing real-time coordination between the surgical team in Suzhou and the medical staff on site in Romania.

Dr. Zhao Jun, head of the thoracic department at the Suzhou hospital, explained that carrying out surgery across borders required careful coordination. The team obtained ethical and administrative approvals from Romania and ran multiple equipment tests to ensure safety standards were met.

The operation also reflects the progress of an international training program launched by the hospital in 2023 to share expertise in using the single-port robot. Medical professionals from countries including Spain and Egypt have participated in the program for observation, training, and exchange. Several of the specialists involved in this surgery were brought in through that initiative.

Looking ahead, remote surgery may become part of routine care, especially for patients in remote areas who need urgent procedures. Local doctors could consult or even be assisted by surgeons in other parts of the world in real time. This approach could help bring advanced medical services to more people, regardless of location.

Source and photos: Jiangsu Commission of Health