In September 2025, Brazilian surgeon Leandro Totti performed an unprecedented robotic telesurgery, operating on a patient with an inguinal hernia at the Hospital da Cruz Vermelha, in Curitiba, Paraná, directly from the Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital, in Kuwait. The distance of 12,034 kilometers marked the longest procedure ever recorded, surpassing the previous record between Morocco and China. The case, approved by Guinness World Records, demonstrated the viability of the technology in a real clinical environment.
The operation took place on September 23 and lasted about two hours, with the doctor controlling robotic arms via a high-speed connection. Local teams assisted at the scene, ensuring patient safety. This advance comes amid a series of telesurgeries in Brazil, expanding access to specialists in remote regions.
Surgical robot operation in remote procedures
The robotic system used is divided into two main parts.
The first component is next to the patient, equipped with mechanical arms and clamps that perform precise movements.
The remote console, operated by the surgeon, transmits commands in real time, simulating intuitive controls.
This configuration allows latency below 200 milliseconds, essential for delicate actions.
Preparation and execution of the transcontinental operation
Leandro Totti, a digestive surgeon trained in Brazil, prepared the procedure for weeks, testing secure internet connections.
The patient, a 50-year-old man with an inguinal hernia, received general anesthesia at the hospital in Paraná.
During surgery, the robot removed the affected tissue with minimum incisions of 1 centimeter each.
The Kuwaiti team, in collaboration, performed a reverse operation on a Brazilian patient, confirming bidirectionality.
The procedure ended without complications, with the patient discharged within 24 hours.
Quick recovery resulted in return to normal activities within a week.
Recent advances in telesurgery in Brazil
Telesurgery gained momentum with cases such as that of Rafael Ferreira Coelho, a urologist who operated on a patient with prostate cancer in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, from São Paulo, more than 1,000 kilometers away, in October 2025. This was the first 100% national non-experimental procedure, using the Toumai robot, approved by Anvisa in August 2024. The patient, Paulo Feijó de Almeida, 73 years old, resumed light walks days after surgery, highlighting the minimally invasive precision.
In João Pessoa, Paraíba, another pioneering event occurred in October, with cardiac telesurgery via conventional internet, costing less than 5% of global standards and connecting 3,200 kilometers from Curitiba. These events involve more than 150 professionals and aim to train teams in regions without specialists.
Benefits for patients in isolated areas
Patients in distant regionssam elite surgeons without long trips.
- Reduced risks when traveling by air or road.
- Lower hospital costs due to short stays.
- Discharge in 1-2 days for abdominal procedures.
Doctors report greater precision in movements, with tremors eliminated by the robot.
Statistics indicate that robotic surgeries reduce infections by 30% compared to traditional methods.
Technology Integration and Medical Training
Brazil has recorded more than 2,800 robotic surgeries since 2008, with 908 in 2024 alone, according to data from specialized centers. Hospitals such as Albert Einstein and HCFMUSP lead training in telesurgery for oncology and cardiac procedures. Students from Unioeste, in Paraná, now use the record-breaking robot for simulations, financed by R$2 million from the state government.
This expansion includes international partnerships, such as with Unimed, which coordinates national robotics training programs.
Pioneering cases and future expansions
Another telesurgery in August 2025 tested the technology on an animal, removing a gallbladder 500 kilometers away, in Paraná.
In Pernambuco, SUS performed the first remote cardiac operation on a child with congenital heart disease, monitored via telerounds.
EsThese precedents pave the way for use in rural emergencies.
The focus now falls on Anvisa regulations for routine approvals.
