▁was ▁impl anted ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁patient , ▁again ▁with ▁Mac L aren ▁carrying ▁out ▁the ▁procedure , ▁in ▁Oxford . ▁▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁Rob ot - Ass isted ▁S urg ery ▁Tri al ▁In ▁the ▁past , ▁ret inal ▁dise ases ▁of ▁the ▁eye ▁could ▁be ▁monitor ed ▁to ▁micro scop ic ▁level ▁– ▁using ▁las er ▁sc ann ers ▁and ▁micro scop es ▁– ▁but ▁inter vent ions ▁were ▁not ▁possible ▁because ▁the ▁del icate ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁eye ▁meant ▁that ▁surg ical ▁operations ▁were ▁beyond ▁the ▁phys i ological ▁limits ▁of ▁the ▁human ▁hand . ▁On ▁ 9 ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁operating ▁at ▁the ▁John ▁Rad cl iffe ▁Hospital ▁in ▁Oxford , ▁Mac L aren ▁and ▁Dr . ▁Thomas ▁Edwards ▁performed ▁the ▁world ' s ▁first ▁robot - ass isted ▁operation ▁inside ▁the ▁eye . ▁The ▁patient ▁was ▁the ▁Rev . ▁Dr . ▁William ▁Be aver , ▁a ▁local ▁priest . ▁ ▁This ▁operation ▁was ▁described ▁as ▁the ▁' R 2 D 2 ▁Tri al ', ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁testing ▁the ▁safety ▁and ▁effic acy ▁of ▁the ▁Rob otic ▁Ret inal - Dis section ▁Device ▁( R 2 D 2 ), ▁developed ▁by ▁Dutch ▁firm ▁Pre ce yes ▁B V ▁( pr on ounced : ▁precise ! ). ▁The ▁operation ▁involved ▁lif ting ▁off ▁a ▁dam aged ▁memb rane , ▁ 1 0 0 th ▁mill imet re ▁thick , ▁from ▁the ▁ret ina , ▁at ▁the ▁back ▁of ▁the ▁eye ; ▁the ▁robot