A Florida-based surgeon has successfully conducted the first transcontinental robotic cancer surgery, marking a breakthrough in remote medical care.
Dr. Vipul Patel, Medical Director at the Global Robotic Institute at Orlando’s Advent Health, performed a prostatectomy on 67-year-old Fernando da Silva in Angola—despite being thousands of miles away.
The procedure, conducted in June, followed da Silva’s diagnosis of prostate cancer in March. Using high-speed fiber optic technology, Dr. Patel operated from the United States, controlling a surgical robot in Africa without any perceptible delay. His on-site medical team in Angola was prepared to intervene if necessary.
“This has been two years in the making,” said Dr. Patel, who has traveled globally in search of viable technologies for this application. The surgery was part of a clinical trial approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), aimed at evaluating the safety and effectiveness of telesurgery across international borders.
Dr. Patel called the success “a small step for a surgeon but a giant leap for health care,” highlighting its potential for underserved regions worldwide.
He emphasized that both rural communities in the United States and remote areas globally could benefit from future telesurgical capabilities. The data will be submitted to the FDA to support further advancements.
