Remote Robotic Surgery Saves Life of Cancer Patient in Gibraltar
A British man with prostate cancer underwent a groundbreaking surgical procedure directed remotely by a doctor located 1,500 miles away. The operation involved a four-armed robot equipped with a 3D camera, successfully removing the patient’s prostate.
The patient, Paul Buxton, was in Gibraltar, while the surgeon, Professor Prokar Dasgupta, was in London. This achievement marked a significant advancement in remote robotic surgery, ultimately saving the life of the 62-year-old football enthusiast.
Inside the operating theatre at St Bernard’s Hospital, the only hospital in the British overseas territory, the advanced robotic system performed the prostatectomy. Buxton, originally from Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset, had relocated to Gibraltar 40 years ago.
Professor Dasgupta, a professor of urology and head of The London Clinic’s robotic centre of excellence, operated the Toumai Robotic System, manufactured by Microport, from a console in London’s Harley Street district. The system’s four arms and 3D camera enabled precise surgical movements.
With support from technology services provider Presidio, Dasgupta guided the robot through the complex procedure remotely. The operation proceeded smoothly, with an exceptionally low lag time of just 0.06 seconds between the surgeon’s console in London and the robot in Gibraltar.
Following the surgery, Buxton reported feeling “fantastic” within days. Reflecting on the experience, he said:
“A lot of people actually said to me: ‘You’re not going to do it, are you?’ I thought, I’m giving something back here.
“I love football – we’ve gone from being in the Championship to the Champions League as far as surgeons are concerned.”
Buxton described his participation as a “no-brainer” and expressed willingness to be a “guinea pig” for the pioneering procedure.
After his cancer diagnosis, Buxton had anticipated joining the NHS waiting list and traveling to England for the complex surgery. However, the opportunity to undergo remote surgery in Gibraltar prompted him to accept the innovative approach.
“If I hadn’t gone for the telesurgery in Gibraltar, then I would have had to have flown to London, I would have had to go on the NHS waiting list, get the procedure done and I would have probably been in London for three weeks. So I thought: ‘This is a no-brainer,’” Buxton said.
“And it is pioneering for Gibraltar, because you don’t need to leave Gibraltar. Normally, any major surgeries, apart from minor stuff, maybe hernias and things like that, you end up having to go to either London or Madrid.”
“It’s been a privilege to be part of medical history.”
Professor Dasgupta described the surgery, which took place earlier this year, as a “milestone” and noted its success.
“We operated on an NHS patient in Gibraltar from the London Clinic 2,400km away using a robot with a 3D HD camera with four arms.
“The robot is completely controlled from a console, which is like a computer console, using high-speed lines with a time delay of, would you believe it, only 0.06 seconds – that 60 milliseconds.”
The console in London was connected to the robot in Gibraltar via fibre optic cables, with a backup 5G connection to ensure reliability. A surgical team at St Bernard’s was present to intervene if the connection failed.
Remote surgery is rapidly advancing globally, enabling more real-time, long-distance procedures. Professor Dasgupta emphasized that patients in remote locations often lack access to advanced healthcare, and remote surgery can save them significant expense and inconvenience.
“I think it is very, very exciting, the humanitarian benefit is going to be significant.”
Professor Dasgupta is scheduled to perform another remote procedure on 14 March, which will be livestreamed to an audience of 20,000 surgeons attending the European Association of Urology congress.
