5G powered robotic surgery

Written by: W. F. RASHINA SHANANI, CLASS OF 2025.

WHAT IF SPECIALIST SURGENTS MILES AWAY COULD PERFORM SUGERIES ON YOU?

The field of robotic surgery has become more popular and significant in modern medicine. It has been adopted in many large hospitals in US within recent years and has become a standard for various procedures. The fifth generation (5G) networks have been deployed by various telecom companies in multiple countries worldwide

This advancement serves as grounds for emerging novel therapeutic applications. Its cost, compatibility and infrastructure remain the only limitations. Researchers are working to overcome the limitations and comprehend the potential benefits.

The challenges created by recent pandemic COVID-19, have increased the need for telemedicine. 5G enables doctor’s miles away from patients to do surgeries on them. Robotic surgical systems have been in development for over 40 years. There is a growing demand from patients and clinics for minimally invasive surgery coupled with higher procedure success rate, this can be provided by surgical robots. Current robotic surgeries also require the surgeon to be located in near vicinity of the patient where they can control the robot via a monitor. This is the point where 5G technology comes into play.

Advancements in 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile networks have drastically improved wireless internet services. 5G networks provide a high data transfer rate at 10 GB/s. 5G networks have developed a “network splicing/slicing” scheme that divides the network architecture into multiple networks specialized in one specific function.

These advancements allow 5G networks to achieve higher data transfer speed, communication, reliability, and ultra-lowlatency than 4G networks.

Worlds first remote surgery was performed by Jacques Marescaux in 2001. A 68-year-old women had her gallbladder removed in Strasbourg, France operated by the surgeon in New York. The surgery was conducted over high speed fiber optic connections. this operation itself is named as operation Lindbergh.

Although such surgical practices had not been integrated into basic surgical practice immediately after 2001 due to technological barriers that including high latency. In March 2019, clinicians remotely controlled implants for deep brain stimulation (DBS) through 5G to treat Parkinson's disease and brain ailments.

Most recently Liang Xiao, a surgeon carried out a gallbladder operation through 5G powered and four arm endoscopic model robot, in Zhejiang province, on Feb 16, 2023.

There is also an increased need for surgical expertise in rural locations in various countries worldwide. Leveraging the new technology could help fill the current lack of surgical expertise as well as the extended travel time required for cancer patients requiring robot-assisted surgical management.

Remote tele-mentored collaboration could help expand knowledge between clinicians in real-time, increasing medical aid where 5G networks have been established.

The high-speed data transfer could allow large volumes of research and data collection to be shared in real-time. This has become huge step in the modern medical world where expert surgeons are able to perform complex procedures without any geographic barrier. But still there are some questions which needs to be addressed.

However, the most important issue has been addressed which means other barriers will never become a problem in near future. We are cautiously optimistic about these new trends, although there is still a long way to go to achieve smart healthcare.