LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — An AdventHealth surgeon in Celebration remotely operated on a prostate cancer patient 35 miles away in Minneola as part of an investigational study of robotic telesurgery.
AdventHealth said the Oct. 25 procedure connected Dr. Vipul Patel at AdventHealth Celebration with a 66-year-old patient and an on-site surgical team at AdventHealth Minneola.
According to AdventHealth, published evidence to date has not documented a robotic telesurgery procedure performed between two locations in the United States.
The patient underwent an investigational robotic prostatectomy as part of a clinical research study evaluating the technology, AdventHealth said.
Patel controlled the investigational robotic surgical system from Celebration while Dr. Marcio Moschovas and a surgical team remained with the patient in Minneola, according to AdventHealth.
The health system said the bedside team was available to provide support and intervene if necessary.
The procedure was conducted under a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved Investigational Device Exemption, which allows the technology to be studied. AdventHealth noted that the exemption does not mean the robotic telesurgery system has received FDA approval or clearance for this use or that its safety and effectiveness have been established.
Researchers are studying several aspects of the technology, including surgical outcomes, safety, network performance, cybersecurity and what happens if equipment or connectivity fails.
AdventHealth said the research is exploring whether telesurgery could eventually help patients access specialized surgical care without having to travel long distances.
The Oct. 25 procedure represents one case in an ongoing investigation, and AdventHealth said additional research is needed before broader conclusions can be made about the technology.
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