Surgeon Performs Cross-Border Robotic Operation
A professor completed a remote surgical procedure on a pig located 870 kilometers away in Shanghai from a console in Seoul.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Robotics
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Professor Kang Seok-ho successfully conducted a remote robotic surgery on a pig from Seoul using ordinary telecommunications networks to control a robot in Shanghai. The demonstration highlighted the potential for performing medical procedures in extreme environments.
Why it matters
Advancements in network latency and robotic precision are bringing the prospect of long-distance surgery closer to reality for disaster zones, battlefields, and remote regions. This progress aims to provide life-saving surgical care in areas where specialist access is currently impossible.
The procedure utilized the Toumai robotic system with an observed system response delay of 30 to 40 milliseconds. The connection was facilitated entirely through standard, publicly available telecommunications networks.
The players
Kang Seok-ho
He is a professor who led the cross-border robotic surgery demonstration from Seoul.
MicroPort MedBot
This company is the developer of the Toumai robotic surgical system used in the procedure.
Korean Urological Association
This organization hosted the annual meeting where the robotic surgical demonstration occurred.
The details
Professor Kang Seok-ho manipulated robotic instruments from a console at the Coex convention center in Seoul to operate on a patient located in a different country. The demonstration serves as a proof of concept for treating emergencies in locations such as polar regions or space.
Timeline
The surgery was performed on Friday, October 16, 2026.
Operation Lindbergh achieved the first trans-Atlantic remote surgery in 2001.
The Tech Race
This demonstration advances the capabilities pioneered during the 2001 Operation Lindbergh by successfully utilizing standard public networks for long-distance surgery. The evolution from specialized, dedicated lines to commercial infrastructure marks a significant shift in the accessibility of robotic medicine.
While currently limited to animal subjects, the technology could eventually allow patients in remote or disaster-stricken areas to receive surgical care from world-class specialists. For now, the innovation confirms that standard global networks are becoming fast enough to support real-time surgical feedback loops.
The takeaway
This successful cross-border operation proves that surgical precision is becoming independent of physical proximity. As network infrastructure improves, the ability to perform complex medical procedures from anywhere in the world will likely transform global emergency response.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations in Robotics.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Korea Times.
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