Imagine a world where a surgeon in Europe can operate on a patient in Asia without leaving their country. That future is already here, and Dr. Alberto Breda is leading the way. On September 11, 2024, Dr. Breda performed the world’s first transcontinental robotic partial nephrectomy. Operating from Bordeaux, France, he successfully removed a kidney tumor from a 37-year-old patient in Beijing, China—8,264 km away.

Dr. Breda, Head of Oncological Urology and the Renal Transplant Surgical Team at Fundació Puigvert in Barcelona, describes this moment as “a historic milestone in modern medicine.” However, he remains pragmatic: “Many historical moments like this one have occurred, but not all of them translate into widespread change.”

Breaking Barriers with Tele-Robotic Surgery

Robotic-assisted surgery is not new, but performing it across continents represents a revolutionary step forward. The procedure was conducted using the Edge Robotics System, a cutting-edge tele-surgical console. Despite a latency of 132 milliseconds, Dr. Breda navigated the operation seamlessly, trusting a local surgical team in Beijing for patient-side assistance.

Preparation for this groundbreaking surgery took eight months, beginning with an experimental procedure in February 2024, where Dr. Breda remotely operated on a pig in China from Orlando, USA—a staggering 12,800 km away. This experiment validated the feasibility of long-distance robotic surgery before applying it to human patients.

A Career of Medical Firsts

Dr. Breda is no stranger to innovation. In 2010, he was the first surgeon in Spain to perform a robotic-assisted kidney extraction from a living donor. In 2015, he and French surgeon Dr. Nicolas Doumerc simultaneously conducted the first fully robotic kidney transplants in Europe. Since then, robotic surgery has become an integral part of renal transplantation, benefiting over 1,000 patients worldwide.

Beyond his surgical achievements, Dr. Breda serves as the President of the European Robotic Urology Section (ERUS) and is a globally recognized expert in uro-oncology. His extensive research portfolio includes over 400 indexed publications and 22 book chapters. In recognition of his contributions, he has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Arthur Smith Award in 2016. He was recently appointed Adjunct Professor of Urology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

The Future of Surgery Without Borders

Dr. Breda envisions a world where tele-robotic surgery is widely accessible, particularly in regions with limited medical resources. “We could set up a robotic system in remote areas and operate from Barcelona,” he suggests. The potential extends beyond patient care—remote surgery can also be a game-changer in medical education, enabling surgeons to train and mentor colleagues across the globe in real time.

His work not only pushes the boundaries of what’s possible but also paves the way for a future where high-quality surgical care is accessible to all

However, as with any groundbreaking innovation, challenges remain. While technology and expertise are already in place, bureaucracy and international regulations pose significant barriers to widespread adoption. “It’s a political issue,” Dr. Breda states. “The real challenge is reaching agreements between governments to regulate tele-surgery.”

A New Era in Medicine

Dr. Alberto Breda’s groundbreaking achievements mark the beginning of a new era in surgery—one where distance is no longer an obstacle to life-saving procedures. His work not only pushes the boundaries of what’s possible but also paves the way for a future where high-quality surgical care is accessible to all, regardless of location.