Hospital adopts 5G technology to aid in surgery

Writer:   | Editor: Stephanie Yang  | From:  | Updated: 2019-03-14

The hepatobiliary surgery team at Shenzhen People’s Hospital, joining hands with Dong Jiahong, an academician with Beijing Tsinghua Changgeng Hospital, performed a surgery in the city with the help of 5G-technology communication Tuesday. The surgery was said to be the first of its kind in China, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

The Shenzhen team and Dong had a long-distance discussion via 5G technology before the surgery. Bao Shiyun, the Shenzhen team leader, wore a pair of MR (mixed reality) goggles and followed Dong’s instructions on how to cope with problems that might arise during the upcoming operation.

After the discussion, Bao led the team to the operating room, which was equipped with multiple screens connected to Beijing. Using 5G technology, Dong was able to guide the operation remotely from an iPad in Beijing.

A woman surnamed Weng, 46, was the patient who received the surgery. On Jan. 27, Weng was admitted to the hospital due to acute suppurative obstructive cholangitis, septic shock and cholecystitis.

As she needed another surgery, the hospital’s hepatobiliary surgery team performed the operation under Dong’s real-time guidance using 5G technology.

According to Bao, preoperative discussion and intraoperative cooperation using 5G technology are more efficient and much safer. It breaks the boundaries of time and space, he said. If bleeding suddenly occurs during a hepatobiliary surgery, Dong can see it in time to give guidance, according to Bao.

Unlike VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality), MR facilitates interaction. The Daily said 5G technology allows doctors to use AR and MR for surgical cooperation.

Dong’s hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery team was introduced to Shenzhen People’s Hospital last year under the city’s Sanming Project of Medicine.