China

China Performs Remote Liver Surgeries via Satellite

Published JUL 8 2025

Story

Above: Ultrasound of a hydatid liver cyst. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Facts

Chinese surgeons have reportedly performed successful remote robotic liver surgeries across a distance of over 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) using satellite communication. A team in Lhasa, Tibet operated on patients in Beijing via the Apstar-6D satellite, orbiting 36,000 kilometers (22,370 miles) above Earth.
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Led by Professor Rong Liu of the PLA General Hospital, the team treated a 68-year-old man with liver cancer and a 56-year-old woman with hepatic hemangioma. Each procedure reportedly lasted between 105 and 124 minutes and was completed without complications.
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This marks the first instance of liver surgeries being performed over such a long distance using satellite networks, highlighting the potential of satellite technology to surpass the roughly 5,000 km limit of 5G infrastructure for remote surgeries.
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The team overcame 632 milliseconds of communication latency — significantly above the traditional 200-millisecond safety threshold for remote surgery — by using advanced control systems that maintained robotic arm precision within 0.32 millimeters through predictive algorithms and neural network-based compensation.
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The system also featured automatic dual-link redundancy, switching to a 5G backup within 280 milliseconds if the satellite connection failed. By prioritizing surgical commands and imaging, bandwidth usage was reduced by 62%, ensuring that high-definition video quality was maintained.
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Both patients were discharged within 24 hours. China plans further testing before deploying the technology in remote regions, disaster zones, and areas with limited medical infrastructure.
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The Spin

Techno-optimist narrative

The use of satellite technology for telesurgery represents a quantum leap in medical technology. Solving the latency problem that has long hindered remote surgery, eliminates geographical barriers and expands the potential reach of robotic surgery across vast distances. This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for remote regions, emergency care in disaster zones, and even space medicine. China's investment in this technology showcases its leadership in addressing global healthcare inequities.

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Techno-skeptic narrative

While telesurgery holds significant promise, it also raises key concerns about its practicality and ethical implications. The technology's reliance on complex infrastructure and specialized training makes it difficult to implement universally. Moreover, questions about liability, security, and long-term reliability persist. Without addressing these issues, the vision of equitable global healthcare may remain out of reach.