Angolan operated by doctor 7,000 miles away in ‘Africa first’

A most cancers affected person in Angola was recovering Thursday after present process the primary robotic surgical procedure on the continent performed remotely by a surgeon in america, in accordance with the hospitals concerned.

The prostatectomy—partial or full removing of the prostate—on June 14 was additionally the primary on this planet to be executed over such a distance, they stated.

It was “efficiently carried out” by Vipul Patel, medical director on the World Robotics Institute, a part of AdventHealth hospital in Celebration, Florida.

“The process spanned practically 7,000 miles (11,000 kilometers), making it the longest distance telesurgery ever accomplished,” AdventHealth stated in a press release on Wednesday.

The Complexo Hospitalar Cardeal Dom Alexandre do Nascimento (CHDC) in Angola’s capital Luanda stated it was “the primary teleassisted surgical procedure carried out in Angola and on the African continent.”

A multidisciplinary crew of surgeons, anesthetists, nurses, engineers and a member of Patel’s crew was current within the working bloc, the CHDC stated.

The surgical procedure “went properly,” the hospital’s director, Carlos Alberto Masseca, informed AFP. Three days after the process, the affected person, Fernando da Silva, 67, went dwelling to recuperate.

Prostate most cancers is the main reason behind most cancers deaths for males in sub-Saharan Africa, in accordance with the World Most cancers Observatory.

Many nations on the continent, together with Angola, have restricted entry to early detection and specialised surgical care.

The process is a “beautiful breakthrough—not simply technologically, however in advancing international well being fairness,” stated Patel.

“It marks a crucial step towards delivering high-quality surgical care to distant, rural and underserved communities which have lengthy lacked entry. That is greater than innovation—it is a humanitarian leap ahead.”

© 2025 AFP