A man originally from Burnham-On-Sea has become the first patient to undergo a groundbreaking remote robotic prostate cancer operation carried out from 2,400km away.
Paul Buxton, 62, who grew up in Burnham-On-Sea before moving to Gibraltar 40 years ago, had his prostate removed in a world‑first UK telesurgery procedure.
A leading London surgeon operated from The London Clinic while a robotic system carried out the movements inside Gibraltar’s St Bernard’s Hospital.
Paul says the pioneering operation went “extremely well”, adding that he felt “fantastic” just four days later. He described taking part as a “no‑brainer”, saying he was proud to help make medical history.
“I thought, I’m giving something back here,” he said. “I love football – we’ve literally gone from being in the Championship to the Champions League as far as surgeons are concerned.”
The surgery was performed by Professor Prokar Dasgupta, a world‑renowned robotic urological surgeon, who said the procedure went exactly to plan. He reported a delay of just 0.06 seconds between his console in London and the robot in Gibraltar, adding: “It was almost as if I was there.”
Professor Dasgupta described the operation – the UK’s first remote telesurgery – as a “milestone”, saying the technology could transform access to specialist care for people living in remote or isolated communities.
Paul had been expecting to travel to the UK and join an NHS waiting list after receiving a shock prostate cancer diagnosis just after Christmas. Instead, he was offered the chance to be the first patient to undergo the new remote procedure.
“If I hadn’t gone for the telesurgery, I would have had to fly to London, go on the NHS waiting list, have the procedure, and probably be there for three weeks,” he said. “So I thought: this is a no‑brainer. And it is pioneering for Gibraltar, because you don’t need to leave.”
A specialist team was on standby in Gibraltar in case the connection dropped, but the link remained stable throughout. The operation used the Toumai Robotic System, with fibre‑optic and backup 5G connections ensuring the surgeon’s movements were transmitted instantly.
A second patient underwent the procedure on 4th March, with Professor Dasgupta calling it “a historic moment”. The next operation on 14th March will be live‑streamed to 20,000 surgeons at a major European medical congress.
Paul says he is grateful for the care he received and proud to have played a part in advancing medical technology. “It’s been a privilege to be part of medical history,” he said.
