Prime Highlights:
- Surgeons in the UK and the US have successfully performed what are believed to be the world’s first remote-controlled stroke surgeries, showing a breakthrough in medical technology.
- The new robotic system could make life-saving stroke procedures more accessible to patients in remote areas.
Key Facts:
- In Scotland last year, only 212 patients underwent thrombectomy, representing just 2.2% of those who suffered an ischaemic stroke.
- The robotic system allows surgeons to operate from thousands of kilometres away, replicating their hand movements in real time at the patient’s bedside.
Background:
Surgeons in the United Kingdom and the United States have successfully performed what are believed to be the world’s first remote-controlled stroke surgeries. This breakthrough could make life-saving procedures easier to access for patients in remote areas.
Dr Iris Grunwald, working from Dundee, Scotland, carried out a remote thrombectomy, a surgery that removes blood clots from the brain to restore blood flow, on a human cadaver located elsewhere in the city. Across the Atlantic, in Florida, Dr Ricardo Hanel conducted a similar procedure on the same cadaver, operating from approximately 6,500 kilometres away.
Grunwald described the experience as strikingly realistic, stating that “my hands felt exactly as they usually would if I had been performing a conventional thrombectomy.” Both demonstrations were carried out using a robotic system developed by Sentante, a Lithuanian firm specializing in remote surgical technology.
Sentante emphasized that the system could revolutionize stroke care by improving outcomes and accessibility. Currently in Scotland, only 212 patients underwent thrombectomy last year, representing just 2.2 percent of those who suffered an ischaemic stroke, a type of stroke caused by a blood clot blocking a brain blood vessel. Globally, ischaemic strokes claim an estimated 3.3 million lives each year, according to the World Stroke Organization.
“For an ischaemic stroke, the difference between walking out of hospital and lifelong disability can be just two to three hours,” said Edvardas Satkauskas, Sentante’s chief executive. He highlighted that patients often travel long distances to reach specialized centers, a challenge this technology could help overcome.
The system works by connecting standard laboratory equipment to a device that captures the hand movements of distant surgeons. These movements are then replicated in real-time by a robot at the patient’s bedside, guided by highly detailed X-ray images.
Dr Hanel added that the ability to operate from the US to Scotland with just a 120-millisecond lag “is truly remarkable,” and it demonstrates that many more stroke patients could potentially benefit from this innovative approach.
This is an important step toward making stroke treatments more accessible, giving hope for quicker and better care for patients around the world.
