Doctors from the Scottish region and the US Achieve Historic Stroke Surgery With Robotic System
Doctors from Scotland and America have successfully completed what is thought of as a pioneering stroke procedure using a robot.
Prof Iris Grunwald, associated with a Scottish university, performed the remote thrombectomy - the removal of circulatory obstructions following a brain attack - on a human cadaver that had been provided for research.
The surgeon was working from a medical facility in the location, while the specimen being treated via the machine was at another location at the academic institution.
Hours later, a neurosurgeon from the US location employed the technology to perform the pioneering long-distance operation from his Jacksonville base on a medical specimen in Scotland over significant distance away.
The medical group has labeled it a potential "transformative advancement" if it gains clearance for clinical application.
The surgeons consider this innovation could change cerebral healthcare, as a delay in accessing expert care can have a major influence on the chances of recovery.
"It seemed like we were seeing the first glimpse of the next generation," stated Prof Grunwald.
"Whereas before this was regarded as futuristic fantasy, we showed that each phase of the surgery can now be performed."
The University of Dundee is the international education hub of the World Federation for Interventional Stroke Treatment, and is the only place in the UK where surgeons can operate on donated bodies with human blood circulated in the arteries to simulate procedures on a living person.
"This was the first time that we could perform the complete clot removal operation in a genuine medical subject to prove that each stage of the procedure are achievable," said the lead expert.
A healthcare leader, the chief executive of a medical organization, labeled the long-distance operation as "a significant breakthrough".
"During many years, residents of remote and rural areas have been limited in obtaining to clot removal," she stated.
"Such technological systems could correct the imbalance which occurs in medical intervention nationwide."
How does the technology work?
An ischaemic stroke takes place when an artery is blocked by a blockage.
This disrupts blood and oxygen supply to the cerebral tissue, and neural cells cease working and deteriorate.
The optimal therapy is a thrombectomy, where a surgeon uses surgical tools to remove the clot.
But what transpires when a individual is unable to reach a expert who can perform the surgery?
The medical expert stated the study demonstrated a mechanical device could be connected to the identical medical instruments a specialist would typically employ, and a healthcare professional who is with the patient could simply attach the wires.
The surgeon, in another location, could then manipulate and control their own wires, and the automated system then performs exactly the same movements in real time on the subject to carry out the surgical procedure.
The patient would be in a medical facility, while the doctor could perform the operation using the automated equipment from anywhere - even their personal residence.
The lead researcher and Ricardo Hanel could view immediate scans of the specimen in the trials, and track developments in real time, with the Dundee expert saying it took just a brief period of training.
Tech giants prominent manufacturers were contributed to the project to secure the network connection of the mechanical device.
"To perform surgery from the United States to the Scottish nation with a 120 millisecond lag - an instant - is truly remarkable," stated the neurosurgeon.
The future of stroke treatment
The medical expert, who has won an award for her work and is also the vice president of the global healthcare association, stated there were primary challenges with a traditional procedure - a global shortage of surgeons who can perform it, and intervention relies upon your location.
In the region, there are only three places people can access the surgery - three major cities. If you don't live there, you must commute.
"The intervention is very time sensitive," stated Prof Grunwald.
"For every six minutes of waiting, you have a 1% less chance of having a good outcome.
"This system would now offer a new way where you're not reliant upon where you dwell - preserving the precious time where your cerebral matter is otherwise dying."
Medical statistics showed there were {9,625 ischaemic strokes|numerous cerebral events|