In just over one year, Orsi Academy helped advance telesurgery across new borders, surgical specialties and forms of connectivity. Together, these milestones show what connected surgery can make possible and what it takes to turn technological progress into safe and meaningful clinical practice.
On 3 July 2026, surgical expertise traveled in both directions between Belgium and Morocco.
Within 24 hours, two robot-assisted radical prostatectomies connected Orsi Academy, Oncorad Group and AZORG across Europe and Africa. From Orsi Academy, Prof. Youness Ahallal remotely operated on a patient at Littoral Clinic Ain Diab in Casablanca. Dr. Geert De Naeyer completed the reverse connection, operating from Casablanca on a patient at AZORG Aalst.
Two patients. Two surgical teams. Two continents.
It marked the latest in a remarkable series of milestones involving Orsi Academy. Each one broke new ground and added another chapter to the evolving story of connected surgery.
Yet bridging the distance is only the first step. The real challenge is building the clinical, technical, and educational ecosystem that makes connected surgery safe and clinically meaningful.
All procedures featured in this article were performed using the Toumai® Surgical Robotic System developed by MicroPort MedBot.
May 2025
Bringing telesurgery into European clinical practice
On 26 May 2025 Dr. Geert De Naeyer operated from Orsi Academy on a patient located approximately 30 kilometres away at AZORG Aalst. He performed a robot-assisted radical prostatectomy remotely. Later that day, Dr. Emily Jamaer performed a remote hysterectomy using the same connection.
These were the first clinical robot-assisted telesurgeries performed entirely within Europe. The reported latency was approximately 20 milliseconds. Local surgeons and operating room teams remained with the patients throughout both procedures.
While the physical distance was limited, the clinical significance extended far beyond those 30 kilometres. These procedures demonstrated how telesurgery could be successfully integrated into European clinical practice. What began as a European first would gradually develop into repeatable clinical practice.
January-March 2026
From first cases to repeatable practice
On 16 January, four remote hysterectomies connected Orsi Academy with AZORG Aalst. The procedures involved Dr. Koen Traen and Dr. Emily Jamaer, together with Orsi Academy fellows Dr. Alice Gori and Dr. Pietro Pasquini.
On 24 February, Dr. Jan Colpaert remotely performed a sigmoid resection from Orsi Academy on a patient at AZORG Aalst, supported by the local surgical team at the patient’s side. MicroPort described it as the first colorectal telesurgery performed outside China using its platform. The procedure also marked AZORG’s 25th telesurgery.
On 31 March, the teams completed four additional gynaecological telesurgeries between Orsi Academy and AZORG.
Together, these procedures reflected a shift from demonstrating what was possible to building experience in practice. Repetition helped teams strengthen communication, refine workflows and improve coordination across locations. The colorectal procedure also showed how telesurgery was expanding into different surgical specialties.
As clinical experience grew, the next milestones explored how connected surgery could also transform surgical education.
April-May 2026
Turning connected surgery into live learning
During BEST 2026 in Lisbon, a two-day remote training programme connected CUF Tejo Hospital with Orsi Academy.
On 23 April, Dr. Carlos Vaz led a remote technical training session focused on anastomosis using an animal model. Selected participants were then given controlled hands-on access to the system. On 24 April, the platform was used in tele-simulation mode, allowing congress participants to practise suturing and elastic exercises remotely on silicone models.
On 28 May, a live telesurgery connected Orsi Academy with Carlakliniken during the SERGS Annual Meeting in Stockholm. Prof. Peter Wiklund performed the procedure, which was streamed live to surgeons attending the congress.
Together, these sessions showed how connected surgery can extend beyond clinical care and turn the operating room into a live learning environment. By combining expert demonstration, guided practice and remote simulation, the technology creates new opportunities for surgical education, mentoring and hands-on training across borders.
June 2026
Connecting Belgium and India
On 4 June, Dr. Ramya Kalaiselvan performed remote surgery from Orsi Academy on patients at Dr G. Viswanathan Hospital in Tiruchirappalli, India.
Across a distance of 9,730 kilometres, she performed two remote procedures supported by an experienced local surgical team at the patient’s side. MicroPort described these procedures as India’s longest telesurgery using the its system.
The milestone also had personal meaning: Tiruchirapalli is Dr. Kalaiselvan’s hometown.
Its significance goes beyond the distance covered. It demonstrated how specialized expertise can reach patients across continents without requiring the surgeon to travel.
Exploring a new route through space
Four days later, Dr. Geert De Naeyer performed a remote robot-assisted procedure from Orsi Academy on a patient at AZORG, using a Starlink Low Earth Orbit satellite connection.
The reported one-way latency was approximately 60 milliseconds. The same connection was also used to explore the potential for remote surgical mentoring.
The procedure raised a new question: could satellite networks provide an additional route for telesurgery where terrestrial infrastructure is limited, vulnerable or unavailable?
A single procedure cannot answer that question. Responsible innovation means recognising what still needs to be researched, tested and validated before satellite connectivity can be used more widely in clinical practice.
July 2026
Connecting Europe and Africa in both directions
On 3 July, surgical expertise travelled in both directions between Europe and Africa.
Prof. Youness Ahallal operated remotely from Orsi Academy in Belgium on a patient in Casablanca, Morocco. Dr. Geert De Naeyer completed the reverse connection, operating from Casablanca on a patient at AZORG Aalst. Both patients underwent a robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.
Expertise did not flow in only one direction. Surgeons and clinical teams on both continents actively contributed to the procedures.
The procedures formed part of a broader partnership between Orsi Academy and Oncorad Group. This collaboration extends beyond telesurgery. Its ambition is to make robotic surgery training and expertise more accessible across Africa through specialized programmes, advanced simulation, mentoring, and scientific exchange.
The procedures demonstrated what connectivity can make possible. The partnership focuses on what must follow: strengthening skills, supporting local teams, and building sustainable expertise.
Beyond technology: what makes telesurgery work
Telesurgery requires more than a robotic platform and a fast network.
It depends on close coordination between remote surgeons, local clinical teams, hospitals, engineers, technology providers, and training experts. Communication must be clear. Responsibilities must be defined. Backup systems must be reliable, and every team must be prepared for emergencies.
The surgeon may be remote. Surgical responsibility is not.
That is why Orsi Academy’s role goes beyond providing a remote surgical console.
By bringing clinical, technical and educational partners together, Orsi Academy creates an environment where new applications can be tested responsibly, teams can prepare together and lessons can strengthen training and clinical practice.
Progress in telesurgery is not built on firsts alone. It grows through repeated practice, close collaboration, continuous learning and responsible innovation.
Technology can bridge the distance. Training, teamwork and trust turn that connection into safe, sustainable progress.
