Surgeons complete remote simulated surgery on International Space Station

[KARAH RUCKER]

IN ONE PIONEERING LEAP FOR MEDICAL SCIENCE, THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA’S SPACE-MIRA, A SMALL BUT POWERFUL ROBOTIC SURGICAL ASSISTANT, MADE HISTORY ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

250 MILES ABOVE. 

[Shane Farritor]

“Saturday was the first time that a surgical robot in space was controlled by surgeons on Earth to perform simulated surgical activities.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

INSIDE A DEVICE NO LARGER THAN A MICROWAVE, A TWO-HOUR SIMULATED SURGERY UNFOLDED SUCCESSFULLY WITH SIX SURGEONS OPERATING MIRA’S ROBOTIC ARMS TO DISSECT SYNTHETIC TISSUE. 

A NEBRASKA-BASED COLORECTAL SURGEON WAS THE FIRST TO TAKE MIRA’S CONTROLS, SAYING:

[MICHAEL JOBST | COLORECTAL SURGEON]

“You have to wait a little bit for the movement to happen, it’s definitely slower than you’re used to in the operating room.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

UNLIKE TRADITIONAL SURGICAL ROBOTS, LIKE THE DA VINCI SYSTEM, WHICH CAN BE THE SIZE OF A SMALL CAR, MIRA is remarkably compact, measuring just over 30 inches in length and weighing around 2 pounds. 

THIS BREAKTHROUGH NOT ONLY OPENS DOORS FOR MANAGING SURGICAL EMERGENCIES DURING LONG-TERM SPACE TRAVEL –ITS CREATORS SAY IT PROMISES TO REVOLUTIONIZE HEALTHCARE BACK ON EARTH.

IN THE U-S, ONE-THIRD OF COUNTIES CURRENTLY FACE A SHORTAGE OF LOCAL SURGEONS, A GAP THAT COULD WIDEN TO 30-THOUSAND SURGEONS WITHIN THE NEXT DECADE.

[Shane Farritor]

“So on earth, remote surgery could be very powerful. It’s a ways off in the future, but you can imagine so many hospitals in Nebraska where a specialist or a specialized surgeon isn’t available. And if you could have someone dial in from a distance and assist with the surgery, we can get people to stay home and get better access to the care they need where they live.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

MIRA’S DEVELOPERS SAY THAT THE TECHNOLOGY HASN’T BEEN APPROVED FOR COMMERCIAL USE YET —BUT BELIEVE LONG TERM IT  COULD “CHANGE THE FUTURE OF SURGERY.”