Surgeon performs ‘world first’ remote brain surgery on a Parkinson’s patient 1,800 MILES AWAY using machines controlled over 5G mobile network
- Dr Ling Zhipei, from Beijing, is believed to have done the remote-controlled op
- He put a deep brain stimulation implant into a patient with Parkinson’s disease
- But at the time he was in the city of Sanya, on an island off China’s south coast
- He says the technology will help treat people who live in remote areas
A doctor has performed the first ever brain surgery over a 5G mobile network, according to Chinese media.
A patient with Parkinson’s disease allegedly had an implant put in their brain by a doctor who was more than 1,800miles away (3,000km).
The doctor who did the operation said the new technology could make it easier for medics to operate on people who live in more remote areas and can’t travel.
Parkinson’s disease is caused by a breakdown of the nerves in the brain and a deep brain stimulation implant can help to regulate electrical signals and improve muscle control (stock)
Dr Ling Zhipei, a surgeon at the People’s Liberation Army General Hospital in Beijing, did the procedure while thousands of miles away, according to China Global Television Network (CGTN).
He inserted a deep brain stimulation implant – a device used to try and control the tremors Parkinson’s patients suffer – into the patient’s brain.
The procedure was carried out on Saturday and lasted about three hours.
Dr Ling was working in the city of Sanya on the island of Hainan, which is off the south coast of China, near Vietnam. Beijing, meanwhile, is in the north.
Dr Ling said: ‘The 5G network has solved problems like video lag and remote control delay experienced under the 4G network, ensuring a nearly real-time operation,’ according to CGTN.
‘And you barely feel that the patient is 3,000 kilometers away.’
A deep brain stimulation implant is a device which acts as a sort of pacemaker for the brain.
Electrodes are placed deep inside the organ and used to regulate electrical signals which pass through it.
Parkinson’s disease is caused by nerve damage in the brain which means electrical signals are uncontrolled, which can cause stiffness and shaking in muscles.
By regulating nerve signals the implant can help to bring a patient’s movements under control and restore normal muscle function.
Experts hope improvements in remote-controlled surgery will make it easier for people to have operations without travelling to major cities.
In a video posted on YouTube by New China TV, Dr Ling said: ‘We hope in the future we can take advantage of the 5G network to enable more hospitals to carry out remote surgery.
‘In this way more patients will be able to receive teatment at their local hospitals.’
The operation was performed with the help of the China Mobile network and and Huawei’s 5G technology.
CGTN said operations have already been carried out over 5G – notably a liver surgery last week – but not on neurosurgery patients.
The patient who received the brain implant from Dr Ling reportedly said: ‘I feel good,’ after the procedure.