The first transatlantic remote thrombectomy operation has been performed: a neurosurgeon from Florida used a robot to operate on a human body in Dundee, Scotland.
UNN reports with reference to the BBC.
Details
Doctors from Scotland and the US have performed a robot-assisted stroke treatment operation, believed to be a world first.
This was a test of remote treatment technology based on a procedure to remove blood clots after a stroke. A human cadaver, donated to medical science, was used.
Professor Iris Grunwald from the University of Dundee, located at the local Ninewells Hospital, performed a remote thrombectomy. Subsequently, almost immediately, the same method was used by neurosurgeon Ricardo Hanel from Florida. He was able to perform it from his base in Jacksonville, 6,400 km from the Scottish city.
Medics believe this technology could revolutionize stroke care, as delays in accessing specialized treatment can directly impact recovery chances.
It felt like we were witnessing the first glimpse of the future... Where it was once considered science fiction, we have demonstrated that every step of the procedure can now be performed.
The University of Dundee is a global training center for the World Federation of Interventional Stroke Treatment and the only place in the UK where doctors can operate on cadavers with a fluid that mimics human blood circulating in vessels.
This was the first time we were able to perform the entire mechanical thrombectomy procedure in a real human body to show that all steps of the procedure are possible.
Professor Grunwald says the new technology "could make professional stroke care accessible to everyone."
Juliet Bouverie, chief executive of the Stroke Association charity, told BBC News that the transatlantic procedure was "a wonderful innovation."
Robotics can balance the inequality that exists in stroke care across the UK.
How does the technology work and what method is used?
While remote thrombectomies have previously been performed on a silicon model, a 3D-printed replica, and an animal, this is believed to be the first procedure on a human body. The subjects who donated their bodies to science died within the last three years and were then embalmed. In the experiment, a fluid mimicking human blood was used in four different cadavers.
An ischemic stroke occurs when an artery is blocked by a blood clot. This cuts off blood supply and oxygen to the brain, and brain cells lose function and die. The best treatment method is thrombectomy, during which a specialist uses catheters and wires to remove the clot.
The experiment demonstrated that the robot can be connected to the same catheters and wires that a surgeon typically uses, and the medic, writes the BBC.
The surgeon, while in a different location, would be able to hold and move their own wires, and the robot would then perform the exact same movements in real-time on the patient to perform the thrombectomy.
Nvidia, Ericsson, and Sentante supported remote stroke treatment
Both procedures, in Dundee and Florida, were performed last month using robotics from the Lithuanian firm Sentante.
When using the robot, the patient can be in the hospital operating room, while the doctor can perform the procedure using the Sentante device from anywhere – even from their own home.
Professor Grunwald and Ricardo Hanel were able to see real-time X-ray images of the body in the experiments and monitor progress in real-time.
Tech giants Nvidia and Ericsson were involved in the project to provide connectivity for the robot.
Dr. Hanel said: "To operate from the US to Scotland with a 120-millisecond delay – the blink of an eye – is truly impressive."
Recall
Regular flossing can significantly reduce the risk of stroke and atrial fibrillation. The study showed a 44% reduction in the risk of cardioembolic stroke and a 22% reduction in ischemic stroke.