Chinese doctors have successfully conducted remote robotic liver surgeries from over 5,000 kilometres away using satellite technology.
Led by Professor Rong Liu of the PLA General Hospital, the team performed surgery on two patients in Beijing while stationed in Lhasa, Tibet, marking the longest-distance surgery ever conducted using satellite communication.
This leap addresses a major barrier in delivering advanced surgical care to remote, underserved, and disaster-hit areas.
Traditionally, 5G telesurgery has been restricted by distance and reliance on ground infrastructure. Satellite surgery, though theoretically global, has faced challenges due to signal delays, often exceeding 600 milliseconds—far above the 200-ms safety limit for surgical precision.
To overcome this, Prof. Liu’s team introduced three major innovations: an adaptive latency compensation system using neural networks to limit robotic arm error to 0.32 mm even under 632 ms latency; a dual-link system that instantly switches to a 5G backup if satellite fails; and dynamic bandwidth allocation, which reduced data load by 62% while maintaining HD imaging.
The landmark procedures, performed via the Apstar-6D satellite, involved a 68-year-old liver cancer patient and a 56-year-old with hepatic hemangioma. Both surgeries lasted under 125 minutes, with minimal blood loss and full recovery within 24 hours.
“This technology is a breakthrough for critical rescue missions in warzones and natural disasters, where doctors cannot reach in time,” said Prof. Liu.
China now plans to incorporate the satellite-assisted model into broader national healthcare strategies. Experts say this could herald a new era of space-powered medicine — bringing lifesaving interventions to even the most inaccessible parts of the world.
