What if a life-saving stroke surgery could be done by a doctor sitting thousands of miles away? That futuristic idea just became reality.
Doctors in Scotland and the US have completed what’s believed to be the world’s first robot-assisted remote thrombectomy.
The procedure removes deadly blood clots after a stroke.
Prof Iris Grunwald from the University of Dundee carried out the operation on a human cadaver in Dundee.
Neurosurgeon Ricardo Hanel joined in from Florida — over 4,000 miles away.
“It felt like witnessing the future,” said Prof Grunwald. “What was once science fiction is now entirely possible.”
Robotic Surgery Advance
The team used technology from Lithuanian firm Sentante.
It allowed surgeons to move robotic wires remotely with real-time precision and just a 120-millisecond lag.
The procedure could be revolutionary for patients in rural areas where stroke specialists are scarce.
“For too long, geography has determined who gets the best care,” said Juliet Bouverie of the Stroke Association. “This could change that.”
Only a tiny fraction of stroke patients currently receive thrombectomies in the UK.
But if this innovation passes trials, the next stroke specialist could save lives — not from an operating room, but from another continent.
Sometimes, the future really is just a click away.
