Remote "Cloud" Surgery Across Thousands of Miles: Western China's First Multi-Port Robotic Remote Surgery Successfully Performed at Xinqiao Hospital

Background

Xinqiao Hospital is the Second Affiliated Hospital of the Army Medical University and is located in Chongqing's Shapingba District. The hospital's hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery department has more than ten years of experience in minimally invasive and robotic techniques for complex liver procedures. Professor Zheng Lu serves as director of this department and has participated in national guidelines in the field.

China has advanced the use of 5G networks and domestically developed surgical robots to support remote operations. This allows expert surgeons based in major centers to perform procedures on patients at distant hospitals. In March 2026, Xinqiao Hospital conducted what reports describe as western China's first multi-port robotic remote surgery in the surgical field. Preoperative remote joint consultations were held with the local hospitals involved.

What was achieved

On March 11, 2026, Professor Zheng Lu used a domestically developed multi-port surgical robot to remotely perform a left hemihepatectomy combined with regional lymph node dissection. The patient was a 64-year-old female with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma located at the Three Gorges Central Hospital in Wanzhou, approximately 300 kilometers from Chongqing. This operation was reported as the first multi-port multi-arm robotic remote surgery in western China.

Two days later, on March 13, Professor Zheng Lu completed a left hemihepatectomy combined with bile duct exploration on a 53-year-old male patient with intrahepatic bile duct stones accompanied by bile duct stenosis. This patient was at the First People's Hospital in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, approximately 1,200 kilometers away. Both patients recovered well, becoming ambulatory and resuming eating on the first postoperative day. The procedures involved hepatic portal occlusion, liver parenchyma separation, vascular ligation, and lesion clearance while preserving residual liver function.

How it works

In this remote robotic technique, the surgeon operates from a master console at Xinqiao Hospital in central Chongqing. Hand and foot controls translate movements across a 5G network to multiple robotic arms positioned at the patient's hospital. A camera arm on the robot provides a high-definition three-dimensional magnified view that is transmitted back to the console. Reports state the bidirectional network latency was 14 milliseconds, allowing the surgeon to describe the visual feedback and operational feel as nearly identical to performing surgery in the same room.

A left hemihepatectomy is the surgical removal of the left half of the liver. Using the robotic instruments, the surgeon performs precise steps including occlusion of blood inflow at the hepatic hilum to control bleeding, careful dissection and transection of liver parenchyma along anatomical planes, ligation of associated blood vessels and bile ducts, and removal of the affected tissue or stones. Local surgical teams at the remote sites manage patient positioning, insertion of access ports into the abdomen, docking of the robot, and any immediate on-site requirements.

What it means for international patients

Xinqiao Hospital is one of Chongqing's first foreign-related designated hospitals. The reported success of these long-distance remote procedures illustrates the potential of telesurgery to connect patients with specialist expertise across geographic distances. International patients interested in hepatobiliary care or robotic techniques at or through this facility should contact the hospital directly to confirm current availability, eligibility criteria, any requirements for in-person or local hospital participation, and support services.

Patients must verify all medical, logistical, and administrative details with the hospital, as specific arrangements for international cases were not detailed in reports on this event.

About the hospital

Xinqiao Hospital, officially the Second Affiliated Hospital of the Army Medical University, is a comprehensive tertiary Grade A hospital in Shapingba District, Chongqing. Founded in 1944, it functions as a large teaching hospital integrating clinical care, education, research, and prevention. It maintains approximately 2,860 beds and has developed national-level strengths in several disciplines, including hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery.

The hospital has a history of innovation in minimally invasive and robotic surgery. It previously utilized systems such as the Da Vinci robot for liver procedures and continues to advance domestic robotic applications. As a foreign-related designated hospital, it has experience serving patients from beyond the immediate region.