Medicine and robotics have mixed successfully for the first time in the history of heart surgery, thanks to the remote surgery performed by Dr. Andre Ng at the Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, UK. The operation was done via the internet with the help of the Remote Catheter Manipulation System built by New Jersey-based Catheter Robotics. The heart rhythm treatment procedure was done successfully with this robotic arm and the Financial Times is covering the whole story.

“The new Robotic procedure is an important step forward because, while some procedures are straightforward, others can take several hours. Because X-rays are used to allow the doctor to monitor what is going on inside the patient, it means that doctors standing close to the patient wear radiation shields such as lead aprons which are burdensome. Protracted procedures can lead to clinician fatigue and high cumulative radiation exposure,” said Dr. Andre Ng, Senior Lecturer in Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Leicester and Consultant Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist, Glenfield Hospital, University Hospitals of Leicester.

The robotic arm has obtained the CE mark through rigorous bench safety testing and pre-clinical studies and now the technology has reached that point where it can be easily and, most important, safely used by doctors all over the world. It also offers a lot of advantages compared to the present operation techniques used by heart surgeons.

"The benefit of the Robotics system to the patient is that movement of the catheter could be done with great precision. It is anticipated that further developments of the system may allow complex procedures to be made more streamlined. On the other hand, benefits to the doctor are that heavy lead aprons would not be necessary as he / she will be controlling the movements of the catheter using the Remote Controller at a distance from the patient outside the radiation area and that he / she can be sitting closer to the monitors displaying electrical signals and x-ray images as opposed to standing at some distance across the room from them which is current practice," added Dr. Andre Ng.

You can read more on this subject on techvert and engadget.


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