Shanghai-based MicroPort MedBot™ has completed six robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomies in Angola. These surgeries were conducted by Dr. Vipul Patel. Dr. Patel and his team from the Global Robotics Institute at AdventHealth, Florida, executed the procedures at the Complexo Hospitalar de Doenças Cardio-Pulmonar Cardeal Dom Alexandre do Nascimento in Luanda, which serves as Angola’s national healthcare reference center.
Among these procedures, two utilzed remote diagnosis and surgical intervention via MicroPort MedBot’s Toumai robotic system. The Toumai system enabled Dr. Patel to operate remotely, relying on the system’s dedicated tele-surgery console and the hospital’s internal telecommunications network. Notably, the latency between the master and remote consoles was maintained below six milliseconds, ensuring seamless and precise operation.
Dr. Patel commented, “Our team came to Angola with a humanitarian purpose, to demonstrate the potential of robotics, remote surgery, and training as the future of healthcare for countries like Angola. By performing remote operations, we have set a precedent for future humanitarian efforts in Africa.”
The Toumai system’s tele-surgery capability illustrates the potential for expanding specialized surgical services to underserved or remote regions. By enabling real-time, high-speed data transmission and communication, the system allows surgeons to perform complex procedures from afar.
