In this episode of Inside Surgery, host Dr Alice Tsai speaks with Dr Youness Ahallal, urologist and robotic surgeon, internationally recognised for pioneering telesurgery and advancing robotic surgery across Africa.

Dr Ahallal shares the story behind the world’s longest-distance robotic cancer surgery, performed between Shanghai and Morocco, and explains the four months of preparation required to make transcontinental telesurgery safe and feasible. The conversation explores signal latency, fibre-optic networks, AI-assisted motion stabilisation, and the teamwork required on both ends of a complex radical prostatectomy.

Beyond the technical achievement, Dr Ahallal reflects on his journey from Morocco to the United States and France, and his decision to return home to establish the first robotic surgery programme in North Africa. He discusses how telesurgery can shorten the learning curve for surgeons, support mentorship across distances, and improve equitable access to high-quality surgical care.

This episode highlights innovation in practice, the future of global surgical collaboration, and how technology can bridge geographic gaps in modern surgery.

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