Pioneering 5G-Enabled Remote Surgical Training in Latin America

NTT DATA Empowers Chilean Surgeons to Train Remotely with 5G Technology

Like many other countries around the world, in Chile, the healthcare system is under immense pressure. Shortages of medical professionals affect all specialties, but are particularly acute in oncology, where nearly 50% of needed specialist positions remain unfilled. Moreover, access to specialists is increasingly limited in rural areas. These challenges are further compounded as the training of new health workers is bottlenecked by the availability of experts and the paucity of resources.

With solutions to these problems proving vital to improving patient care, international technology experts have come to together to enable doctors in Chile to broadcast the nation's first live surgery using 5G technology.

Pioneering 5G-Enabled Surgical Demonstration in Chile

The demonstration was made possible through an innovative collaboration between Arturo Lopez Perez Foundation (FALP) and NTT Group. It represents Latin America's first use of 5G for real-time transmission of a surgical procedure. By providing the infrastructure to stream ultra-HD footage of the surgery across vast distances, this groundbreaking use case has set a precedent for the future of 5G-enabled medical education, care, and transformation worldwide.

The procedure showcases the far-reaching potential of 5G, revolutionizing how we train the next generation of physicians, perform life-saving surgeries, and allow patients to access specialized care – regardless of geography.

NTT DATA Provides 5G Connectivity for a Medical Milestone

This medical milestone was achieved through collaboration and partnership; multiple parties were critical in bringing together the necessary assets, knowledge, and resources. NTT DATA, NTT Communications, NTT Docomo, FALP, and ALLM all worked across multiple time zones, countries, and languages to bring together their expertise.

NTT DATA provided foundational 5G networking equipment and connectivity for the broadcast. Determined to break new ground in digitization, NTT DOCOMO transported the required 5G technology directly from its facilities in Japan. Working in tandem with ALLM's JOIN software platform proved pivotal and allowed the surgical broadcast to leverage world-class 5G infrastructure and achieve the high speeds and low latency required for an immersive real-time transmission.

This new capability underscores Chile’s growing status as a regional leader in 5G-enabled healthcare. As one of the first Latin American nations to deploy widespread 5G connectivity, Chile is focused on ambitious pilot projects to showcase the technology’s medical potential. By pioneering bold new use cases such as this one, Chile is setting an example that will improve healthcare access across Latin America and beyond.

New Possibilities for Surgical Education and Remote Care

This project proves 5G's potential to enhance and transform medical education worldwide, empowering medical professionals to develop their skills and techniques. Students and doctors can now observe even the most complex and specialized surgeries in real-time, regardless of geographical barriers.

The reach of this technology extends from major metropolitan hospitals to rural and remote regions that are disconnected from medical institutions. Expert surgeons will be able to provide live guidance and consultation during training to impart their decades of know-how to learners across great distances.

Medical schools and teaching hospitals can also build expansive repositories of recorded surgeries for in-depth study and review. These opportunities promise to help address urgent inequities and shortages in global healthcare.

Inspiring New Innovations in Healthcare

The applications of this range from remote surgical training to tele-assisted surgery, whereby leading experts project themselves virtually into operating rooms thousands of miles away to guide difficult procedures. Augmented and virtual reality can allow specialists to annotate and highlight surgical sites as they provide life-saving advice remotely.

5G can also enable remote patient monitoring through high-definition video and data transmission, helping seniors live independently while maintaining access to medical care. Faster sharing of scans, test results, and medical histories can improve diagnoses and treatment across great distances.

Why NTT DATA?

With over 50 years of experience delivering advanced IT services worldwide, NTT DATA has deep experience in the telecoms and technology space. Our involvement in Chile's medical milestone demonstrates our commitment to leveraging connectivity to improve lives.

By providing the 5G infrastructure and capabilities to enable this broadcast, NTT DATA has demonstrated its commitment to guiding healthcare's digital transformation. Together with forward-thinking providers, we’re leading the charge to explore 5G's immense potential: advancing medical education, expanding access to care, and inventing the treatments of tomorrow.

Aniluz Auikalil Lopez
NTT DATA CHILE

Aniluz joined the company in August 2022, she has 12 years of experience in projects in the telecommunications sector, leading multidisciplinary teams with a focus on the implementation of high impact solutions, generating value that strengthens relationships with our clients.