We are witnessing all sorts of technological breakthroughs in different kinds of fields. The latest comes in the field of medicine where a doctor in China has carried out a remote 5G surgery on the human brain for the very first time in the country.
The patient was suffering from Parkinson’s disease in China. In collaboration with China Mobile and Chinese technology giant Huawei, China’s PLA General Hospital (PLAGH) carried out the operation on Saturday by making use of 5G technology. The surgery was performed by Ling Zhipei. Ling Zhipei is the chief physician of the First Medical Center at PLAGH. The remote surgery was carried out for implanting a deep brain stimulation (DBS) device in the patient’s brain for providing assistance in controlling the Parkinson’s Syndrome.
Ling Zhipei rotates between the PLA General Hospital main campus in Beijing and PLA General Hospital’s Hainan Hospital 3,000 kilometers away, completed the intricate surgery in almost three hours. The patient responded after the surgery with, ‘I feel good.’ As far as Ling Zhipei is concerned, he didn’t expect that he would be making history when he received the call for the surgery. He said, ‘I take turns working in Beijing and Hainan, and the operation took place during my Hainan rotation. A patient with Parkinson’s in Beijing needed surgery and couldn’t fly to Hainan. The 5G network has solved problems like video lag and remote control delay experienced under the 4G network, ensuring a nearly real-time operation. And you barely feel that the patient is 3,000 kilometers away.’
What do you think of this amazing feat? We are absolutely thrilled with the news as this means that a technological breakthrough has been achieved. When the patients can’t come to the surgeons that are known for their skills or as is the case of Ling Zhipei – when a doctor is on rotation – such options will help the hospitals make sure that the patients are able to receive the required treatment in a timely manner.