A Doctor Used 5G To Direct A Surgery Remotely From MWC's Stage

Participants at the Mobile World Congress event had a chance to witness a tremendous improvement in technology and medicine. An intestinal cancer removal surgery at Hospital Clinic Barcelona was directed in real-time by a doctor right on the event's stage via 5G.

Although remote surgery has been carried out before, this one has a significant difference. Dr. Antonio de Lacy, head of the hospital's gastrointestinal surgery unit, used 5G technology to monitor and direct the operation through live video. It is worth noting that the doctor's instructions were transmitted to the surgical team almost immediately and there was practically no delay.

The data provided by AFP shows that the currently used 4G connection has a delay of 0.27 seconds. Meanwhile, the 5G connection used in de Lacy's surgery only had a lag time of 0.01 seconds. Dr. de Lacy said:

For surgeries that are done by doctors in the operating room, the low latency is not a serious problem because they can still handle and control situations. But if we use robots for remote surgeries, a little delay in giving them instructions can cut off a nerve or an artery, which can undoubtedly lead to incalculable consequences.

The introduction of robots into surgeries can save many people around the world, especially in places where there are not enough surgeons or places the doctor cannot reach. Dr. de Lacy continued saying:

You can watch the video below to see how the operation was carried out.