SD-WAN: the essential partner for making remote surgery more accessible

This practice was conceived by the U.S. government to enable surgeons to operate on its soldiers on the front lines and even on its astronauts in the 1990s, with the advent of the Internet. However, it wasn’t until 2001 that the first operation of this kind was performed. A doctor in New York operated on a patient in Strasbourg. From then until now, there has been one key factor preventing these procedures from becoming widespread: latency.

At the beginning of the century, latency exceeded 600 ms, which was too high for this type of procedure, which requires latencies below 300 ms. For this reason, not many operations of this kind have been performed to date. This improvement in latency is made possible by technological advancements in network infrastructure, such as SD-WAN, and in network connections.

These procedures allow the surgeon and the patient to be in different locations thanks to advanced technologies. Surgical robots, such as the Da Vinci, are used for this purpose, enabling surgeons to perform precise movements. High-definition cameras and advanced imaging systems, such as laparoscopy or endoscopy, are also necessary to perform procedures with precision. And with that, low latency plays a crucial role in enabling remote surgery to be performed.

The network is an essential and indispensable pillar for ensuring the success of telesurgery, as any interruption or delay can jeopardize the patient’s health. In this context, solutions such as SD-WAN networks have emerged, guaranteeing stability, security, and, above all, ultra-low latency (less than 30 ms) in remote connections.

Unlike traditional WANs, such as MPLS, this type of network infrastructure allows for the simultaneous use of different connection links and the ability to balance traffic across them in the event of potential network failures. In other words, if fiber optic is being used and its performance degrades, it can automatically route sensitive traffic to a more optimal link.

In this way, SD-WAN provides a fast network connection that transmits images without delay. This results in very low latency, allowing the surgeon’s and the robot’s movements to be perfectly synchronized.

Furthermore, alongside SD-WAN, 5G plays a key role in achieving high speeds and low latency. And with the upcoming arrival of 6G, connection times are expected to be reduced even further.

SD-WAN provides end-to-end encrypted security, which efficiently segments network traffic to protect it from potential cyberattacks. In sectors such as healthcare, where data is highly sensitive, this protection is crucial. Additionally, SD-WAN helps reduce costs by eliminating the need for private links. Its scalability is also a key advantage in the healthcare sector.

In this way, SD-WAN makes it easier for hospitals in rural areas or developing countries to have a reliable network infrastructure. This enables specialized care regardless of geographical barriers. Thus, it becomes a powerful tool for ensuring and democratizing this type of remote care.

Despite these technological advances, there are still some challenges in this field. Connectivity in rural areas remains one of the biggest obstacles. While SD-WAN helps address part of this problem, there are still areas where these networks are not reliable enough.

Furthermore, we need to examine how new and still largely unexplored technologies in the healthcare sector, such as artificial intelligence, are being implemented in remote surgeries. AI-driven algorithms could assist healthcare professionals in decision-making and provide the medical team with real-time data on the patient.