In a groundbreaking medical milestone, surgeons from Scotland and the United States have successfully performed what is believed to be the world’s first remote robotic stroke surgery on a human body.
The procedure was led by Professor Iris Grunwald of the University of Dundee, who conducted a remote thrombectomy—a surgery to remove blood clots after a stroke—on a human cadaver. While Prof Grunwald operated from Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, the body was located at a university facility miles away.
Just hours later, Dr Ricardo Hanel, a neurosurgeon based in Jacksonville, Florida, performed the first-ever transatlantic robotic surgery, operating on a body in Dundee from more than 6,400 kilometers away.
The team hailed the achievement as a potential “game changer” that could revolutionize stroke care, especially for patients in remote areas who currently lack access to specialist treatment.
“It felt as if we were witnessing the first glimpse of the future,” said Prof Grunwald. “What was once considered science fiction is now a demonstrated reality.”
The University of Dundee is home to the world’s only facility where doctors can practice on cadavers that have liquid circulating through their vessels to simulate human blood flow. The recent test marked the first time a full mechanical thrombectomy was performed on a real human body.
Juliet Bouverie, Chief Executive of the Stroke Association, described the operation as a “remarkable innovation” that could help close the treatment gap for people living in rural areas.
The experiment used four cadavers donated within the past three years. The robotic systems, developed by Lithuanian company Sentante, enabled the surgeons to manipulate catheters and wires remotely, mimicking every hand movement in real time.
In practice, a doctor at the patient’s side would insert the wires, while a remote specialist—possibly even from another country—could perform the actual thrombectomy using the robotic system. Both Prof Grunwald and Dr Hanel completed the procedure after only 20 minutes of training, with a latency of just 120 milliseconds.
Tech firms Nvidia and Ericsson partnered on the project to ensure seamless connectivity between the two continents.
Prof Grunwald said the innovation could address two key global challenges: the shortage of qualified thrombectomy specialists and the limited access to treatment based on geography.
“Every six minutes of delay reduces the patient’s chance of a good recovery by 1%,” she said.
“This technology could save countless lives by bringing treatment to the patient, not the other way around.”
Last year, Scotland recorded 9,625 ischaemic strokes, but only 2.2% of patients received thrombectomy treatment. Across the UK, the figure stood at 3.9%, according to Public Health Scotland.
Sentante CEO Edvardas Satkauskas said the success marks a new era for remote medical intervention, “Sometimes, the future is much closer than we think.”
With inputs from BBC