Surgeons from Dundee, Scotland, and Gainesville, Florida, have advanced the frontiers of medical science with a world first. They went on to execute the world’s first remote thrombectomy procedure using robotics, an incredible feat. Last month, a group of surgeons conducted a groundbreaking surgery on human cadavers. This pioneering procedure made possible the removal of blood clots after a stroke. This transatlantic collaboration marks a significant advancement in stroke treatment, potentially changing how patients receive critical care.
The operation was conducted by Professor Iris Grunwald, using robotic equipment created by the Lithuanian firm Sentante. Throughout the experiments, Prof. Grunwald utilized live X-ray imaging to learn from the cadaveric subjects in progress. Her co-worker, Dr. Ricardo Hanel, had benefited from this critical imaging technology. This capability let them explore the complex anatomy in detail, mimicking the most realistic surgical setting.
Prof Grunwald noted that mastering the technology required only 20 minutes of training, demonstrating its user-friendliness and potential for widespread application. For that reason, the researchers only used cadavers whose hearts had died within the last three years. They ultimately embalmed these bodies in order to conduct the research.
“This technology would now provide a new way where you’re not depending on where you live – saving the valuable minutes where your brain is otherwise dying,” said Prof Grunwald. She emphasized the urgency of timely intervention for stroke patients, stating, “Every six minutes delay, you have a 1% less chance of having a good outcome.”
At the moment, just three sites in Scotland – Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh – provide thrombectomy services. This short supply month greatly impacts the access that potential patients have that are currently battling strokes. Juliet Bouverie, chief executive of the Stroke Association charity, highlighted this issue, stating that “for too long, people living in remote and rural areas have been deprived of access to thrombectomy.”
The procedure’s implications extend beyond Scotland. In the UK as a whole, only 3.9% of all stroke patients received a thrombectomy in the year leading up to March 2024. This shocking data point highlights the urgent need for innovations such as remote surgery to close these gaps in care.
Prof Grunwald’s work more broadly within the field of interventional stroke treatment has received major acclaim. She is the recent recipient of an Innovate UK award for her pioneering work into thrombectomy techniques. She is vice president of the World Federation for Interventional Stroke Treatment.
The new remote thrombectomy system mimics every motion of the far-away surgeon who controls it. In this traditional model, the patient remains in the source hospital operating room. At the same time, using the Sentante machine allows the surgeon to perform the procedure remotely from anywhere in the world. That flexibility can be priceless during emergencies. Sometimes the most precious resource of all is time.
Prof. Grunwald and her team across the country are passionate about their long-term research endeavors. They plan to start clinical trials in 2024, getting remote thrombectomy a step closer to becoming a routine treatment choice for patients in urban and rural areas.
“This technology could make expert stroke treatment available to everyone.” – Prof Iris Grunwald