[INTERVIEW] Korean doctor operates remotely from Seoul on pig in Shanghai

Kang Seok-ho, a Korea University urology professor, remotely operated on a pig in Shanghai from Seoul during a demonstration at Coex on Friday. The procedure marked Korea’s first cross-border telesurgery demonstration using a commercial platform. Kang said telesurgery could extend specialist care to distant locations, including disaster zones and battlefields, but legal, payment and data-security questions remain. He plans further animal experiments and said the technology must be shown to be safe for patients.

The demonstration used the Toumai system developed by China’s MicroPort MedBot.

Kang said the delay between his movements and the system’s response was about 30 to 40 milliseconds, and the procedure used ordinary telecommunications networks.

Kang said about 1,500 telesurgical procedures have been performed on human patients worldwide, most of them in China.

Kang said Korean law permits certain forms of remote support between medical professionals but does not expressly authorize direct cross-border robotic surgery on patients.

Kang plans further animal experiments, including a possible cross-border procedure using a single-port robot that inserts instruments through one incision.

Published Oct 21, 2026 3:43 pm KST

Updated Oct 21, 2026 6:16 pm KST

Urology professor envisions telesurgery reaching disaster zones thousands of kilometers away

Kang Seok-ho, a professor of urology at Korea University Anam Hospital, operates a surgical robot in Shanghai from a console at Coex in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Korea University Anam Hospital

Sitting at a console in Seoul, a Korean doctor successfully operated on a pig using a surgical robot about 870 kilometers away in Shanghai, marking Korea’s first cross-border telesurgery demonstration using a commercial platform.

Kang Seok-ho, a professor of urology at Korea University College of Medicine, says the technology could profoundly transform surgical care, allowing doctors to operate from distant facilities and across borders, including on patients in disaster zones and battlefields.

“I was delighted. I also found it remarkable that I could actually perform surgery in Shanghai from here,” Kang said in a recent interview with The Korea Times.

The demonstration was conducted on Friday at Coex in Seoul during the Korean Urological Association’s annual meeting. The Toumai system developed by China’s MicroPort MedBot was used, according to the hospital.

Telesurgery allows a physician to control surgical instruments through a communications network rather than being physically present in the same surgery as the patient. Unlike remote consultations, it involves the surgeon directly manipulating the robot performing the procedure.

Kang said advances in communications networks and robotic systems have accelerated the development of telesurgery over the past two to three years. Reducing delays is important, he said, given that even a brief interruption during surgery could have severe consequences.

During his demonstration, the delay between his movements and the system’s response was about 30 to 40 milliseconds, allowing him to operate smoothly, he said.

The procedure used ordinary telecommunications networks rather than a specially installed connection, he said.

A major milestone in telesurgery came in 2001 with Operation Lindbergh, in which surgeons in New York remotely performed gallbladder surgery on a patient in Strasbourg, France.

About 1,500 telesurgical procedures have been performed on human patients worldwide, most of them in China, according to Kang.

But wider adoption in Korea will require more than technical advances, he said. Questions about medical liability, payment and patient data security remain major obstacles.

“If something goes wrong, who bears responsibility — the surgeon operating remotely or the doctors at the patient’s location? And how do we protect patient information and surgical footage transmitted over the network?” Kang said. “Reaching a consensus on these issues is not easy.”

He said China has moved quickly with government support, while other nations continue to grapple with regulatory and ethical questions. Korean law permits certain forms of remote support between medical professionals, but the relevant provisions do not expressly authorize direct cross-border robotic surgery on patients.

Kang sees potential beyond the abdominal procedures that currently dominate telesurgery. Advances in robots designed for blood vessels and orthopedic procedures could eventually allow specialists to treat a wider range of emergencies remotely, including in disaster zones and on battlefields.

“If the necessary foundations are put in place, telesurgery could expand surgical treatment options in areas that specialists cannot easily reach,” he said. “In the long term, we could explore its use in extreme environments, at sea, in polar regions and even in space.”

For now, he plans further animal experiments, including a possible cross-border procedure using a single-port robot designed to insert surgical instruments through one incision.

“What doctors need to do is continue improving the technology and demonstrating that it can be used safely for patients,” he said. “I think a social consensus will eventually emerge.”

高丽大学泌尿外科教授姜锡浩（音译）周五在首尔国际展览中心（COEX）进行远程手术演示，他从首尔远程为上海的一头猪做了手术。此次手术标志着韩国首次利用商业平台进行跨境远程手术演示。姜教授表示，远程手术可以将专科医疗服务扩展到包括灾区和战场在内的偏远地区，但法律、支付和数据安全等问题仍然存在。他计划进行更多动物实验，并强调这项技术必须证明对患者安全。

此次演示使用了中国微创医疗科技股份有限公司开发的Toumai系统。

康表示，他的动作与系统反应之间的延迟约为 30 至 40 毫秒，该过程使用了普通的电信网络。

康表示，全球已为人类患者实施了约 1500 例远程手术，其中大部分在中国。

康表示，韩国法律允许医疗专业人员之间进行某些形式的远程支持，但没有明确授权对患者进行直接的跨境机器人手术。

康计划进行更多动物实验，包括可能使用单孔机器人通过一个切口插入器械进行跨境手术。

发布于2026年10月21日下午3:43（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月21日 下午6:16（韩国标准时间）

泌尿科教授设想远程手术能够惠及数千公里外的灾区

周五，韩国高丽大学安岩医院泌尿外科教授姜锡浩（音译）在首尔COEX中心的操作台上操控一台手术机器人，该机器人当时正在上海进行手术。图片由韩国高丽大学安岩医院提供。

一位韩国医生坐在首尔的控制台前，成功地使用一台远在 870 公里外上海的手术机器人为一头猪做了手术，这标志着韩国首次使用商业平台进行跨境远程手术演示。

高丽大学医学院泌尿外科教授姜锡浩表示，这项技术可以深刻改变外科治疗，使医生能够在遥远的医疗机构和国界范围内进行手术，包括在灾区和战场上为病人进行手术。

“我非常高兴。我也很惊讶，我竟然可以在这里远程为上海做手术，”康在最近接受《韩国时报》采访时说道。

此次演示于周五在首尔COEX会展中心举行，正值韩国泌尿外科协会年会期间。据医院方面称，演示中使用的是由中国微创医疗器械公司（MicroPort MedBot）开发的Toumai系统。

远程手术允许医生通过通信网络控制手术器械，而无需亲临手术室与患者同台。与远程会诊不同，远程手术需要外科医生直接操控机器人进行手术。

康医生表示，过去两三年里，通信网络和机器人系统的进步加速了远程手术的发展。他指出，减少手术延误至关重要，因为即使是手术过程中的短暂中断也可能造成严重后果。

他说，在演示过程中，他的动作与系统响应之间的延迟约为 30 至 40 毫秒，使他能够流畅地操作。

他说，该程序使用的是普通电信网络，而不是专门安装的连接。

远程手术发展史上的一个重要里程碑出现在 2001 年的林德伯格手术中，当时纽约的外科医生远程为法国斯特拉斯堡的一名患者进行了胆囊手术。

据康教授介绍，全球已为人类患者实施了约 1500 例远程手术，其中大部分在中国。

但他表示，要让韩国更广泛地采用这种方法，需要的不仅仅是技术进步。医疗责任、支付和患者数据安全等问题仍然是主要障碍。

“如果出现意外，责任该由谁承担——是远程手术的外科医生，还是患者所在位置的医生？我们又该如何保护通过网络传输的患者信息和手术录像？”康说，“就这些问题达成共识并不容易。”

他表示，中国在政府支持下迅速行动，而其他国家仍在努力应对监管和伦理问题。韩国法律允许医疗专业人员之间进行某些形式的远程支持，但相关条款并未明确授权对患者进行跨境机器人手术。

康认为，远程手术的潜力远不止于目前占主导地位的腹部手术。用于血管和骨科手术的机器人技术的进步，最终可能使专家能够远程处理更广泛的紧急情况，包括在灾区和战场上。

他说：“如果必要的条件具备，远程手术可以扩大专科医生难以到达地区的治疗选择范围。从长远来看，我们可以探索将其应用于极端环境，例如海上、极地地区甚至太空。”

目前，他计划进行进一步的动物实验，包括一项可能的跨境手术，使用单孔机器人通过一个切口插入手术器械。

他说：“医生们需要做的就是继续改进这项技术，并证明它可以安全地用于患者。我认为最终会达成社会共识。”