A cross-border telesurgery on an experimental animal located in Shanghai, China, about 870 kilometers away from Seoul, has been successfully performed for the first time in South Korea.

Korea University Anam Hospital announced today (Oct. 19) that Professor Kang Seok-ho of the Department of Urology performed surgery on an experimental animal by remotely operating a surgical robot set up in Shanghai in real time during the 78th Annual Meeting of the Korean Urological Association held at COEX in Seoul.

Professor Kang manipulated the surgical console installed at COEX, while the robotic arms in Shanghai mirrored his movements in real time to carry out the procedure.

Korea University Anam Hospital emphasized that this demonstration marks the first case in South Korea to implement cross-border telesurgery using a surgical robot platform.

However, this demonstration was conducted at the preclinical stage using an experimental animal rather than a human patient.

Professor Kang explained, "This demonstration is significant as it confirmed how telesurgery can be implemented in actual surgical environments across the physical distance between South Korea and China," adding, "For future application in actual medical settings, thorough verification of patient safety and institutional foundations is required."

Telesurgery is a procedure performed by operating a surgical robot in real time through a communication network when the surgeon and the patient are physically separated.

It has the advantage of allowing skilled specialists to participate in distant surgeries without traveling to the site in person.

While technologies necessary for telesurgery—such as robot manipulation and control, real-time video transmission, and long-distance network connectivity—have advanced to a commercially viable level, discussions on ethical, legal, and institutional challenges remain.

For cross-border telesurgery to be applied to patients, relevant regulations and institutional frameworks must be established alongside sufficient verification of patient safety and stability in actual medical environments.

(Photo provided by Korea University Anam Hospital, Yonhap News)