Abu Dhabi hospital performs kidney surgery in Pakistan

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has successfully carried out its first robot-assisted remote ureter and kidney removal surgery between the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, marking a major medical milestone that highlights rapid advances in cross-border robotic surgery and expands access to advanced care for complex cases.

The procedure was performed on a patient located in Pakistan, more than 1,000 kilometers away from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Expert urologic surgeons at the hospital conducted the entire operation from a remote control unit in the UAE, using a secure, real-time connection with the medical team stationed beside the patient in Pakistan.

The patient suffered from a complex medical condition caused by a severe stone that led to a complete obstruction of the urinary tract and kidney failure, necessitating removal of the ureter and kidney. Following referral to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi for its advanced expertise in urology, the decision was made to proceed with robot-assisted remote surgery.

From the patient’s location in Pakistan, Dr. Robert Abu Alsel, Chair of the Integrated Surgical Institute, supervised the procedure, assessing patient readiness, ensuring safety protocols, and monitoring every stage of the operation in real time. Meanwhile, Dr. Rabee Madi, urologist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, operated the robotic system from the control unit in Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Georges-Pascal Haber, CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said the achievement demonstrates what Abu Dhabi can accomplish when medical expertise converges with technological innovation to advance healthcare frontiers. He noted that the hospital will continue working with partners and cross-border care providers to expand this model, delivering world-class treatment regardless of patients’ geographic locations.

Dr. Abu Alsel emphasised that the collaboration helped overcome the procedure’s challenges and ensured the highest standards of precision and safety across borders. Dr. Madi added that remote surgery represents the next generation of robot-assisted care, proving that with the right protocols, surgeons can achieve levels of accuracy, control, and safety comparable to being physically present in the operating room.

The robot-assisted ureter and kidney removal was completed without any complications, while reducing the patient’s pain levels, accelerating recovery, and enabling early discharge from hospital — benefits made possible by the precision of minimally invasive robotic surgery.

The patient in Pakistan had a severe condition involving a sharp stone that caused complete urinary obstruction and kidney failure, requiring surgical removal of the ureter and kidney. After referral to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi for its expertise in advanced urologic treatments, the surgery was conducted remotely with robotic assistance.

Dr. Abu Alsel remained at the patient’s side in Pakistan, evaluating surgical readiness, overseeing safety procedures, and monitoring the operation step by step. He said: “For this patient, access to advanced robotic surgery in Pakistan posed a challenge, and this collaboration helped overcome that barrier. Remote surgery enabled us to ensure the highest standards of precision and safety across borders, delivering the same advanced level of care Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi provides — to a patient in Pakistan.”

From the control unit in Abu Dhabi, Dr. Madi operated the robotic system through a dedicated, secure, high-speed digital connection, allowing the synchronized surgical model to proceed seamlessly despite the geographic distance.

“Remote surgery represents the next generation of robot-assisted care,” Dr. Madi said. “This procedure proved that with appropriate remote-surgery protocols, we can deliver a level of precision, control, and safety equivalent to the surgeon being physically inside the operating room.”

The ureter and kidney removal was successfully completed without complications, while easing pain, speeding recovery, and enabling early discharge. Remote surgery improves healthcare access, allowing patients to receive advanced treatments that would otherwise require international travel.

This operation represents a significant achievement in medical innovation, following earlier collaboration this year between Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and Cleveland Clinic in the United States to perform the first intercontinental remote focal therapy for prostate cancer using robotic surgery.

Such successes open new horizons for international medical collaboration and the global expansion of access to advanced surgical care. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi continues to build a healthcare model centered on accessibility, reliability, and exceptional expertise — combining robotic surgical precision, seamless cross-border coordination, and advanced digital infrastructure.

The future of remote surgical care holds vast promise, and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has already taken decisive steps toward realising this vision, enabling advanced, human-centered care across the world.