Saudi Surgeons Complete 11 Consecutive Remote Robotic Operations

A surgical team at Seha Virtual Hospital has completed 11 consecutive remote robotic operations, allowing patients in different parts of Saudi Arabia to undergo specialist procedures without travelling to the operating team.

Working from Riyadh, the surgeons operated remotely on patients in Hail and other locations across the capital through a network that is being expanded to connect hospitals across the Kingdom, including in remote areas.

The procedures included a right lower-lobe lung resection—described as the second remote lobectomy of its kind worldwide and the fifth remote pneumonectomy globally—alongside sleeve gastrectomies, hernia repairs, pelvic explorations and hysterectomies.

The surgeries were carried out under the Saudi protocol for remote surgical procedures, a national framework developed by Seha Virtual Hospital to regulate robotic surgery in accordance with quality and patient safety standards. The robotic systems used in the programme have also been approved by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority for clinical use.

The initiative forms part of broader efforts by the Ministry of Health to expand the use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence across the healthcare sector under Saudi Vision 2030. Recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's largest virtual hospital, Seha Virtual Hospital is connected to 241 hospitals and more than 1,400 health centres, providing specialist services across 114 primary and subspecialties.

Its digital healthcare ecosystem also extends beyond hospitals through the Sehhaty app, which surpassed 31 million users in 2025. The platform enables users to book appointments, access prescriptions and receive AI-powered health recommendations, medication reminders and appointment notifications through integration with their medical records.