New Delhi: China has carried out the world’s first satellite-based ultra-remote surgeries, a breakthrough in medical technology that could transform trauma care, especially in high-intensity combat zones. The operations were carried out using the Apstar-6D broadband communications satellite, located 36,000 kilometers above Earth, according to the South China Morning Post.
Doctors at the People’s Liberation Army General Hospital successfully performed five surgeries remotely from Lhasa in Tibet, Dali in Yunnan and Sanya in Hainan. The patients, located in Beijing, underwent procedures on the liver, gallbladder or pancreas with the help of a domestically developed robotic surgical system. All patients reportedly recovered and were discharged the next day, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
In a pioneering feat, data from each surgical move traveled a round-trip distance of nearly 150,000 kilometers, demonstrating both domestic and international innovation in medical technology.
CCTV reported: “This series of remote surgeries It spanned the mountains and straits of China, demonstrating the feasibility, safety and effectiveness of conducting complex long-distance operations using satellite technologies and local robotic systems.
He Apstar-6D Satellitelaunched in 2020, played a pivotal role in this achievement. Capable of delivering 50 gigabits per second and with a useful life of 15 years, it provides extensive coverage throughout the Asia-Pacific region, particularly for air and sea routes.
Apstar-6D is the first of a planned constellation of three or four geostationary satellites designed to deliver broadband connectivity to aircraft, ships and remote areas.
One of the surgeries involved the removal of a liver tumor performed by Dr. Liu Rong of Lhasa, while the patient was in Beijing. The success of this operation was made possible by advanced communications optimizations, including data classification, quality of service monitoring, and traffic management. These measures significantly reduced latency, bringing it closer to the physical limits of satellite communications.
This milestone signals the potential for satellite-based surgeries to become “a fully standardized and commercialized clinical practice”, offering 24/7 global coverage and enabling life-saving interventions even in remote locations. more remote. Unlike terrestrial infrastructure, satellite communications overcome geographical and logistical limitations, providing broader coverage and faster deployment.
In November, China further advanced its satellite communications technology by delivering the Apstar-6E, the country’s first all-electrically powered communications satellite, to Indonesia.
