Chinese doctor in France performs robotic liver surgery remotely on Hangzhou patient
Professor Liang Xiao checks the surgical robot. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]
In a groundbreaking world first, a Chinese doctor performed robot-assisted liver surgery across continents — saving a patient 10,000 kilometers away in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province.
During the Society of Robotic Surgery Congress in the city of Strasbourg in northeastern France on July 19, Professor Liang Xiao from Zhejiang University's Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital used a China-developed surgical robot to complete a 50-minute liver resection on an 80-year-old cancer patient in China.
The patient, a man surnamed Wu, had a complex medical history including chronic hepatitis B and previous liver and carotid surgeries.
Despite the challenge, Liang precisely carried out the left liver lobe resection, navigating dense adhesions and complex vascular structures — all via a high-speed remote connection.
The surgery was livestreamed to nearly 20,000 experts from over 50 countries, who praised the robot's performance and Liang's technique. It marked the world's first intercontinental robot-assisted liver cancer surgery.
Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, an early adopter of surgical robots, has pioneered China's 5G-enabled ultra-remote operations. Since 2023, the hospital has completed several global and national firsts in robotic surgeries, advancing access to top-tier medical care for underserved regions.
The medical team at the Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital in Hangzhou poses for a group photo after the surgery. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]
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