March 24 (UPI) -- A procedure performed in Panama using remote robotic surgery to treat a stroke is generating interest among specialists, who say the technology could expand access to critical treatments by letting experts operate without being at a patient's hospital.
The advance targets a structural limitation of the healthcare system: many centers lack highly trained neurointerventionists, even if they have medical infrastructure, which forces the transfer of patients or specialists and creates critical delays in emergencies.
The case, developed as part of the Operation Robo Angel clinical study by the company XCath, consisted of a telerobotic mechanical thrombectomy -- a procedure to remove a clot from a blood vessel -- in a patient in his late 60s.
The procedure was performed at The Panama Clinic in Panama City, while the neurosurgeon operated remotely from Santiago, more than 124 miles away.
According to the company, the surgeon removed the clot on the first attempt and restored blood flow to the brain within minutes. The patient woke up speaking and showed significant recovery in subsequent hours.
