A joint team of medical professionals from Dundee, Scotland, and Jacksonville, Florida, have performed a stunning medical miracle. With this procedure they became the first in the world to perform a robotic-assisted stroke procedure. This pioneering operation, performed 4,000 miles away from each other, made use of cutting-edge robotics technology created by the independent Lithuanian company Sentante. This innovative therapy reflects a major advance in stroke care. Besides improving quality, it holds promise to bring world-class specialist care within reach of patients everywhere.
Last week, the VCCM team, engineering professor Iris Grunwald and Dr. Ricardo Hanel, performed a groundbreaking procedure in Dundee. They were able to use this robotic technology to do a thrombectomy—full procedures—even with Dr. Hanel working remotely from Florida. Powering such a delicate and complicated procedure to be done remotely, academia believes, unlocks the potential of digital technologies to shatter geographical borders in the healthcare industry.
The innovation demonstrated in this procedure enables experts to control surgical tools remotely. It tracks the path of wires and instruments with millimeter precision, allowing for delicate and detailed movements during the procedure. In this recent experiment, researchers were able to use human blood on four human cadavers. This methodology closely mirrored real-life conditions and proved the effectiveness of the robotic system.
Prof. Grunwald was hopeful about the difference this technology could make in improving stroke treatment access. She pointed out that today’s constraints usually prohibit patients living in the most remote or rural regions from accessing life-saving interventions such as thrombectomy.
“For too long, people living in remote and rural areas have been deprived of access to thrombectomy,” – Prof. Iris Grunwald
The potential impacts of this new technology are huge. Each six minutes of delay in stroke treatment reduces a patient’s likelihood of a positive outcome by 1%. In Scotland, the availability of thrombectomy procedures is limited to just three locations: Dundee, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. Last year, just one in six patients in the UK who could have gained from thrombectomies received them. More specifically, only 212 patients – 2.2% – actually received this treatment.
This use of new technology became particularly timely due to the pandemic and concerns of worsening inequities in stroke care, Dr. Hanel said. As with other kinds of robotics, he added that technology like the Sentante system could start to right inequities between urban and rural healthcare access.
“Robotics like this could rebalance the inequity which exists in stroke treatment across the UK,” – Dr. Ricardo Hanel
Their next step and ultimate goal is to take their research to the next level by entering clinical trials in 2019. Prof. Grunwald’s contributions to interventional stroke treatment have made her an expert on the world stage. She has won a Women in Innovation Award from Innovate UK and is currently vice president of the World Federation for Interventional Stroke Treatment.
The successful completion of this innovative procedure is an important step in the direction of progress in the field of modern medicine. It highlights the amazing powers of robotic surgery. It paints an optimistic future where technology will help close gaps in healthcare access.
“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,” – Prof. Iris Grunwald
As experts continue to explore the benefits of robotic surgery, they remain committed to improving patient outcomes and expanding access to advanced medical treatments. The collaboration between Dundee and Jacksonville showcases how innovation transcends borders and paves the way for future developments in healthcare.