24.10.2026 00:11
Technology that eliminates distances in medicine has achieved a remarkable success in Turkey. Aynur Karaca, 43, living in Muş, was operated on from approximately 1,400 kilometers away using a robotic surgery system controlled from Istanbul. The operation, performed via a connection established between the two cities, revealed the new era that remote surgery could open in healthcare services.
A striking operation in the field of health technologies was performed in Turkey. Aynur Karaca, 43, who was receiving treatment in Muş, was operated on via a robotic surgery connection established from Istanbul, about 1,400 kilometers away. The operation, performed jointly by an expert surgeon in Istanbul and a female surgeon working in Muş, was recorded as Turkey's first remote robotic hysterectomy performed via a connection established between a laboratory and a hospital.
THE 1,400-KILOMETER DISTANCE WAS OVERCOME WITH ROBOTIC SURGERY
The operation was carried out via the connection established between the Istanbul Experimental Research, Development and Training Center (İDEA) of the Turkish Health Institutes Presidency (TÜSEB) in Istanbul and Muş State Hospital.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Derman Başaran, a faculty member of Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, who joined the operation from the center in Istanbul, remotely controlled the robotic surgery console. Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist Dr. Haticegül Tuncer, working at Muş State Hospital, assumed the surgical responsibility at the patient's bedside during the operation.
The two physicians completed the operation by working simultaneously from different cities. Thus, an important practice was carried out demonstrating that advanced surgical expertise can be shared between different centers without the need for the patient to travel to another city.
THE PATIENT’S HYSTERECTOMY WAS MANAGED REMOTELY
It was stated that 43-year-old Aynur Karaca, on whom the operation was performed, had long experienced heavy bleeding and related anemia. As part of the patient's treatment, a hysterectomy, known as removal of the uterus, was performed.
The surgeon in Istanbul personally carried out certain stages of the operation via the robotic system and guided the surgeon in Muş during some stages. The physician in Muş, meanwhile, was at the patient's side, managed the surgical process and took part in ensuring the operation proceeded safely.
“PATIENTS MAY NO LONGER NEED TO TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Derman Başaran, who joined the operation from Istanbul, stated that telesurgery makes it possible not only to perform remote surgery but also for experienced physicians to transfer knowledge and experience to colleagues in different cities.
Başaran drew attention to the fact that thanks to this method, patients' obligation to go to other cities for treatments requiring advanced expertise can be reduced. He stated that remote connection could offer important opportunities, especially in regions where access to large health centers is more difficult.
YOUNG FEMALE SURGEON TOOK PART IN HISTORIC OPERATION IN MUŞ
Dr. Haticegül Tuncer, working at Muş State Hospital, also assumed an important responsibility in the operation. Stating that she gained experience in more than 200 robotic surgery cases during her specialty training, Tuncer said that using the knowledge she had acquired in her post in Muş was important to her.
Tuncer emphasized that the operation was an important step in delivering advanced surgical technologies to patients in different regions and in improving the sharing of experience among physicians.
TELESURGERY IS OPENING THE DOOR TO A NEW ERA IN HEALTH SERVICES
Telesurgery allows robotic surgery systems to be controlled via remote connection and experts in different centers to work together on the same operation. High-speed data transfer and low-latency connections are of critical importance in carrying out such applications.
The operation carried out between Istanbul and Muş set an important example in preventing access to advanced surgical expertise from being limited by geographical distances. With the development of remote surgery and telementoring applications, it is aimed to increase cooperation between health institutions in different cities and to support surgical training.