5G-based remote eye surgery benefits Xinjiang patients

BEIJING -- A medical team in Beijing has performed eye surgeries with the help of 5G technology on three patients 3,000 km away in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

After receiving the eye fundus photographs sent by a local hospital in Xinjiang's Tumxuk City, Chen Youxin, director of the Ophthalmology Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), tailored surgery programs for the three patients, including two Uygur elders.

With the help of software, the programs were sent back by 5G technology, and an automatic machine performed the laser surgeries based on the programs on Friday.

"The surgeries were very successful," said Chen.

He said China has a shortage of professional ophthalmologists, and through 5G and medical artificial intelligence technology, local doctors can treat patients as long as they receive basic training and are remotely guided by experts.

Chen said PUMCH has set up a subcenter in a hospital in regional capital Urumqi, providing more imaging diagnosis services to patients in Xinjiang and more training to local doctors.