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Doctors from the US and UK have performed the world’s first-ever remote-controlled surgery — in what has been hailed as a medical “game changer.”
Surgeons at a hospital in Dundee, Scotland, used a robot to remove a blood clot in a human cadaver, which was located at a university facility across the city.
Hours later — and over 4,000 miles away in Jacksonville, Florida — Dr Ricardo Hanel then used the groundbreaking technology to operate on the same body.
“Where previously this was thought to be science fiction, we demonstrated that every step of the procedure can already be done,” Professor Iris Grunwald said. University of Dundee / SWNS“It felt as if we were witnessing the first glimpse of the future,” Professor Iris Grunwald of the University of Dundee told BBC Scotland.
“Where previously this was thought to be science fiction, we demonstrated that every step of the procedure can already be done.”
Scientists hope this “game changer” robot tech will transform stroke care, allowing patients to receive quick and potentially lifesaving treatment even if they are hundreds of miles from a hospital.
“For too long, people living in remote and rural areas have been deprived of access to thrombectomy,” Juliet Bouverie, chief executive of the Stroke Association charity, told the BBC.
Both procedures in Scotland and Florida were carried out last month using robotics developd by Lithuanian company Sentante.
It’s hoped clinical trials will take place as soon as next year.
A stroke occurs every 40 seconds across the US, with almost 90% of them being ischemic, which happens when blood flow is blocked to the brain.
The best treatment for an ischemic stroke is a thrombectomy, or the removal of a blood clot. (edited)
English (US)