Recently, the research findings of Robot-assisted Laparoscopic Telesurgery with 5G Technology with the largest international sample size were published on European Urology (IF:24.268) and British Journal of Surgery (IF:11.122).

This study was conducted by Tianjin University, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Shandong Weigao Surgical Robot Limited Company, China Mobile and China Unicom as well as about ten hospitals in Shandong and Gansu provinces.

According to the uneven medical resources in our country, this research combines the independently developed laparoscopic robot “MicroHand” and 5G communication technology, and resolves key technological problems such as remote real-time reliable transmission of data, remote stereoscopic synthesis of surgical images, remote and accurate restoration of surgical operations, and remote surgical safety guarantee. This study successfully radiated the high-quality medical resources of the Affiliated Hospitals of Qingdao University to the surrounding areas: excellent experts of Affiliated Hospitals of Qingdao University carries out remote surgeries for 50 patients with kidney cancers and adrenal tumorslocated hundreds of kilometers to thousands of kilometers away. The follow-up results showed no complications after remote surgeries. This is another important breakthrough since the research team completed the world's first clinical trial of 5G remote endoscopic surgery between the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University and the People's Hospital of Xixiu District of Anshun City, Guizhou Province in September 2020.

The breakthrough of robot-assisted remote surgery technology improves the surgical capacity of the doctors and makes surgical operation break through the space limit. This research promotes people’s sharing of high-qualified medical resources, reducing the uneven distribution of medical resources and therefore provides new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment mode.

By Liu Luxia

Editor: Sun Xiaofang