MINNEOLA, Fla. (WSVN) \u2013 A Florida man is recovering after a groundbreaking surgery that was performed by a doctor who was miles away, using robotic technology. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you have landmark case like this, you don\u2019t want it to end as one,\u201d said Dr. Vipul Patel. <\/p>\n
On Sunday, the 66-year-old man walked into AdventHealth Minneola, near Orlando. <\/p>\n
His surgeon was at another hospital performing the surgery remotely, thanks to technological advancements in robotic surgery. <\/p>\n
The patient needed surgery to have his prostate removed. <\/p>\n
Patel, of AdventHealth Celebration, was controlling the robotic instruments from 35 miles away. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think the benefits to telesurgery is, it kind of levels the playing field in terms of access to healthcare,\u201d said Patel. <\/p>\n
It was the first reported robotic telesurgery in the United States \u2014 part of a Food and Drug Administration-approved research study. <\/p>\n
The technology would theoretically allow a surgeon to operate from anywhere in the world. <\/p>\n
The procedure could become more common in the future. <\/p>\n
\u201cThings are changing. The costs of the robots are coming down. They\u2019re more available. They\u2019re more prevalent in the United States. The telecom, the connectivity\u2019s also there,\u201d said Patel. <\/p>\n
The same medical team previously performed the same surgery from Central Florida on a patient in Africa. <\/p>\n
Location determines how easy it is to access a procedure with an experienced surgeon, but Patel said this technology could change that.<\/p>\n
He said the next step is teaching others. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then, to expand it to other areas of the state, other areas of the country and then, hopefully, from the U.S. internationally. I think it would be great for the United States to lead in telesurgery,\u201d said Patel. <\/p>\n
AdventHealth said more research is necessary before bigger decisions are made on how to use the technology. <\/p>\n
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