Telesurgery or remote surgery is a branch of telemedicine that provides the opportunity to remotely perform an operation on a patient using a robotic surgical system. Relying on robotics, real-time communication, and high-bandwidth network connections, this breakthrough technology provides an unparalleled opportunity to expand healthcare reach, enhance surgical capabilities, and improve treatment outcomes. This innovation challenges traditional surgical practices, aiming to revolutionise healthcare.
Successful telesurgical interventions have grabbed news headlines and caught our attention, potentially paving the path for more critical surgeries to be conducted in the future using remote capabilities, overcoming geographical barriers.
In a recent telesurgery in 2025, the world’s first robotic totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass was performed by Dr. Sudhir Srivastava in India, on a patient located 286 km from the surgeon. This geographical distance was bridged using three surgical robotic systems, comprising the mobile telesurgical unit, SSI MantraM. These units are designed to provide precise surgical interventions at remote locations. In this case, the SSI Mantra 3 Telerobotic-assisted Internal Mammary Artery Harvesting (IMAH) procedure was completed within an hour, maintaining a low latency of 35-40 ms, enabling real-time, instantaneous, and precise control. This surgery not only emphasized teamwork but also redefined the standards of remote invasive care.
In another breakthrough achievement, clinician-scientists from Singapore (NUH and NUS Medicine) and Japan (Fujita Health University) completed simulated trials of complex telesurgery for cancer on an artificial stomach (gastrectomy), across a distance of 5000 km. This marked an extraordinary and seamless collaboration between medical expertise and technology, separated by transcontinental distances.
Other successful telesurgeries include twenty-two surgeries performed by Canadian surgeons harnessing the Zeus surgical robotic platform. These surgeries include colectomy, fundoplication, and inguinal hernia repair at remote locations 400 km away.
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The Lindbergh Operation is another classic example of complete telesurgery, where surgeon Professor Jacques Marescaux in New York performed a cholecystectomy on a patient located in Strasbourg, France, 14000 km away. While the control console (master controller) was located in New York, the surgical equipment was placed in France. In fact, the Lindbergh Operation is the first example where the time delay, frequently encountered in long-distance transmissions, was reduced using high-speed optical fibre, making such procedures feasible even at intercontinental distances.
The success of these breakthrough interventions relies on the performance of the telesurgical mobile units. These units comprise a technically equipped surgical room, a patient preparatory room, a sterilisation area, a medical staff station, and medical stock. In addition, these units contain an uninterrupted supply of medical gases and potable water, an electricity connection, a 5G high-speed wireless network connection, and an air conditioning system.
Thus, telesurgeries are no longer a distant dream. The successful telesurgeries demonstrate the feasibility of critical surgeries through remote capabilities, thereby enhancing access to collaborative, advanced, timely, and invasive care. It also has the potential to save the lives of critical patients for whom timely intervention is crucial. This innovation is particularly useful for remote locations such as rural areas with limited access to specialised healthcare facilities, without requiring extensive travel. It has also sparked interest among the military, owing to its possible application in battlefields, which represent high-risk areas with a pressing need for medical care but limited access.
