Turkish surgeons perform world-first remote kidney stone operation using 5G technology
A Turkish medical team has achieved a major breakthrough in telemedicine, successfully performing a remote kidney stone surgery over a distance of approximately 1,500 kilometers using 5G connectivity.
The operation was led by Cevat Tefik, an academic originally from Gümülcine, who conducted the procedure from Istanbul on a patient treated at Muş State Hospital in eastern Türkiye.
The surgery is being described as one of the first successful remote kidney stone procedures of its kind using 5G-enabled robotic support systems.
5G-Powered Surgery Enables Real-Time Precision From 1,500 km Away
The procedure was carried out using Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery (RIRS), a minimally invasive technique used to treat kidney stones without external incisions.
Thanks to ultra-low latency 5G infrastructure provided by Turkcell, surgeons were able to operate in real time with high-speed data transmission and near-zero delay.
The operation lasted approximately four hours and was completed without open surgery, marking a significant milestone in minimally invasive urological care.
Professor Tefik was assisted on-site by urologist Op. Dr. Rıfat Burak Ergül, who worked directly with the patient in Muş while coordinating with the remote surgical team in Istanbul.
“It Felt Like We Were in the Same Operating Room”
Commenting on the breakthrough, Professor Cevat Tefik stated that the surgical team was able to monitor and control the operation as if they were physically present in the same operating room.
He described the procedure as a major step forward for tele-surgery and remote healthcare delivery, highlighting its potential for expanding access to specialist medical care in underserved regions.
Medical experts say the success of the operation could accelerate the adoption of 5G-assisted robotic surgery systems across hospitals worldwide.
Global Significance for Remote Healthcare
The achievement is being widely viewed as a milestone in digital medicine, particularly for countries with large geographic disparities in healthcare access.
Researchers believe that 5G-enabled surgical systems could eventually allow top specialists to operate on patients in remote or rural areas without the need for physical travel.
The development is also expected to play a key role in the future of:
- Robotic surgery systems
- Emergency remote interventions
- Specialist access in rural healthcare
- Cross-border medical collaboration
The project has also drawn attention in Western Thrace, where the surgeon’s origins have been highlighted as a source of regional pride.
A Step Toward the Future of Surgery
Experts say the success of this operation signals the beginning of a new era in which ultra-low latency networks and robotic precision systems converge to redefine surgical practice.
If widely adopted, such systems could significantly reduce waiting times for specialist procedures and improve healthcare equity across regions.
