A joint team of surgeons from Dundee, Scotland and Jacksonville, Florida entered the history books for medical technology. With the assistance of a cutting-edge thrombectomy robot, they were able to execute a thrombus removal perfectly. The technically groundbreaking procedure happened more than 4,000 miles apart. It used the Sentante robotic system, which was designed by Professor Iris Grunwald and her research team. This state of the art technology makes remote surgeries possible. Now, surgeons at urban centers can perform these critical procedures from hundreds of miles away, increasing access to life-saving stroke treatments.
This extraordinary operation took place in Dundee. In parallel, Dr. Ricardo Hanel, a Florida-based neurosurgeon, remotely commandeered the Sentante technology with precision and finesse from his Jacksonville clinic. This novel arrangement showcased the ability to execute remote medicine, especially in urgent circumstances like strokes. That’s because for every six-minute delay in treatment, the likelihood of a good outcome decreases by 1%. By conducting complex or low-volume surgeries remotely, we can improve outcomes for patients with limited access to high-quality care.
The Sentante robotic system gives surgeons the ability to control wires and record movements in the robotic system while directly tethered to the patient’s body. This seamless integration of technology means that a surgeon can perform complex procedures without being physically present at the patient’s location. This successful thrombectomy is a significant step in advance for both telemedicine and robotic surgery.
To echo the words of our own ambassador at COP and Professor Grunwald, this is huge. He said that the trial’s success demonstrates we can link robots through the same catheters and wires used in regular procedures. She was hopeful about the technology’s potential, referring to it as a “game changer” if approved for widespread clinical use.
“For too long, people living in remote and rural areas have been deprived of access to thrombectomy,” – Prof. Iris Grunwald
At present, only three cities in Scotland—Dundee, Glasgow, and Edinburgh—provide thrombectomy procedures for stroke patients. Across the whole of the UK, just 3.9% of all stroke patients were getting this vital treatment in the most recent year – ending March 2024. The Sentante system can equip organizations to address these inequities squarely. It will help guarantee that every person gets the most advanced stroke care from specialized clinicians, regardless of geography.
Juliet Bouverie, chief executive of the Stroke Association charity, called the transatlantic procedure a “truly astonishing innovation.” She highlighted the significant implications of remote surgery technology for patients who may otherwise lack timely access to life-saving treatments.
Dr. Hanel added that these are truly remarkable capabilities of the robotic system. And perhaps most impressively, the lag time between his operating room and the surgical site in Dundee allowed for a nearly imperceptible 120-millisecond lag time. He called this gap “a blink of an eye.” This quick reaction time is essential throughout stroke interventions, where time becomes extremely critical almost on a second to second basis.
“To operate from the US to Scotland with a 120 millisecond lag – a blink of an eye – is truly remarkable,” – Dr. Ricardo Hanel
As to the transformational potential of robotics to health care, Professor Grunwald was spot on. He claimed that these innovations would deliver on targeting the inequalities in stroke care across the 4 nations of the UK. Increasing their capacity to deliver preventive and prompt treatment to historically underserved populations would be a giant leap forward in closing the equity gap in healthcare access.
In the coming year, the team will be running clinical trials with Sentante technology. They hope to conduct a large trial in order to better assess its efficacy and safety. These trials will be crucial in determining whether this innovative approach can be integrated into routine medical practice and ultimately benefit stroke patients across the nation.
“Sometimes, the future is way closer than we think,” – Edvardas Satkauskas