Robotic remote left lateral hepatectomy: A 2,600 km telesurgical case from Yunnan to Beijing

To report on a successful case of robotic remote left lateral hepatectomy. A 56-year-old female patient with a liver hemangioma in the left lateral segment underwent robotic remote left lateral hepatectomy at Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital (PLAGH). The surgery lasted 1 hour and 21 minutes with minimal blood loss and was conducted using a 5G network with a one-way delay of 40 milliseconds (ms). The patient was discharged in one day post-surgery. There were no complications, including hemorrhage and bile leakage. This case highlights the potential of telesurgery in hepatic surgeries to improve access to specialized surgery while addressing logistical, ethical and technological challenges.