Turkey has achieved a significant milestone in healthcare technology with the world’s first remote kidney stone surgery using Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery (RIRS) method, powered by 5G technology. The operation involved a patient at Muş State Hospital, whose kidney stones were treated by a doctor located in Istanbul, approximately 1300 kilometers away.
Groundbreaking Operation Utilizes Turkcell’s 5G Network
The pioneering procedure was a collaborative effort between Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine and Muş State Hospital, facilitated by Turkcell’s advanced 5G infrastructure. This four-hour surgery not only represents a global first for RIRS but also distinguished itself as the first remote operation in Turkey to employ a medical device developed with local and national capabilities.
Expert Insights from the Operating Surgeon
Prof. Dr. Tzevat Tefik from the Urology Department of Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine, who performed the operation from Istanbul, shared critical details about the procedure, emphasizing the importance of millisecond precision.
“Through Turkcell’s 5G infrastructure and ELMED’s domestically produced Ibn-i Sina robot, we were able to monitor our patient in Muş from Istanbul, just as if we were in the same operating room. The ultra-low latency provided by the system allowed us to complete the procedure without any loss of surgical intuition. This work concretely demonstrates that telesurgery is not merely a technological demonstration; with the right infrastructure, an experienced team, and multidisciplinary collaboration, it is a safely applicable model in clinical practice,” stated Prof. Dr. Tefik.
He further highlighted the global significance of this achievement: “Beyond being a first in Turkey, this success is globally meaningful as it is the world’s first remote kidney stone surgery performed using the RIRS method. Within the framework of international academic collaborations, we aim to disseminate robot-assisted retrograde intrarenal telesurgery globally and position Turkey as an international reference center in this field.”
The Transformative Power of 5G Technology
The success of such a geographically distant operation underscores the pivotal role of 5G technology. While often discussed in the context of individual users, 5G’s true potential lies in its application across industrial and healthcare sectors. Its ultra-low latency and high data transfer capacity are critical enablers for such complex medical procedures.
Turkcell CEO on 5G’s Impact
Dr. Ali Taha Koç, CEO of Turkcell, commented on how 5G technology is triggering a radical transformation across all aspects of life, from education and health to industry and transportation.
“As Turkcell, we view 5G as a strategic threshold for Turkey’s digital future. This technology, with its very high speed, ultra-low latency, and strong data carrying capacity, opens the doors to a new era in every field of life. This successful operation, performed via Superbox 5G over approximately 1500 kilometers between Istanbul and Muş, is a very striking example of Turkcell 5G’s capacity to overcome distances. In this context, we will see the transformative effect of 5G even more in many areas, from education to health, from industry to transportation, in the near future. As Turkcell, we are rightfully proud to lead this radical change with our infrastructure and the widest frequency band. On this occasion, I extend my thanks to our esteemed rectors, valuable professors, all stakeholders, and my colleagues,” said Dr. Koç.
Ibn-i Sina Robot: A Local Innovation
The world’s first remote kidney stone surgery utilized the Ibn-i Sina robotic device, developed by Elmed. Ahmet Sinan Kabakçı, founder of Elmed, one of Turkey’s first high-tech medical device manufacturers, emphasized the domestic and national nature of this robotic device.
“We started this process in 2012, and through a TÜBİTAK project, we obtained the world’s first kidney stone breaking robot patents for this robot, which is currently used in many centers worldwide. Remote kidney stone treatment with telesurgery was performed for the first time in the world, here today. Although telesurgery has been performed in various parts of the world with surgical robots like Da Vinci, stone treatment is being done for the first time. After we developed this stone treatment robot, devices emerged in France, South Korea, and the USA, and currently, there are two or three studies in China, but none of these have been commercialized yet. Our robot was the first to perform remote stone treatment using this method, preceding all of them,” Kabakçı explained.
Future Implications for Healthcare
Experts predict that advanced internet infrastructure and robotic systems will unlock entirely new possibilities in the healthcare sector. Thanks to 5G infrastructure, patients in regions with limited access to specialist surgeons will also be able to benefit from advanced treatment methods.
