Robotic Telesurgery for Stroke Patients Could Dramatically Reduce Response Times

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 03 Jan 2025

Image: Mechanical thrombectomy has become the gold standard for treating acute ischemic stroke (Photo courtesy of Alamy)

Neurovascular diseases, such as stroke, aneurysms, and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), are major contributors to death and disability worldwide. Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has become the “gold standard” for treating acute ischemic stroke. When MT is performed within two hours of symptom onset, patients have a 90% chance of regaining independence. However, this likelihood drops to just 30% at six hours. These figures emphasize the critical need for timely procedures and widespread availability, which are currently limited by the shortage of trained neuro-interventionalists and limited access to treatment outside urban areas. Despite advancements in stroke care, many patients still struggle to receive timely acute stroke interventions. This may soon change with the development of an interventional robotic platform designed to address a variety of neurovascular conditions, including acute ischemic stroke.

Navigantis (Miami, FL, USA) has successfully carried out the first clinical procedures using its VASCO surgical robot on patients with neurovascular disorders. The ongoing clinical trial includes patients undergoing diagnostic cerebral angiograms, brain tumor embolization, and mechanical thrombectomy for ischemic stroke. These initial successful robotic cases mark a significant milestone in the treatment of complex neurovascular diseases. This breakthrough builds on Navigantis' previous success with its earlier First-In-Human (FIH) procedure in 2022, during which VASCO's prior model was used for robotic embolization of liver tumors.

As the use of endovascular procedures involving fluoroscopy for imaging guidance becomes more common in treating neurovascular diseases, reducing radiation exposure has become increasingly important. The application of robotics in these interventional procedures significantly reduces radiation exposure. Currently, VASCO is an investigational device undergoing clinical trials outside the U.S. and is not yet approved for commercial use in any jurisdiction, including the U.S. Navigantis continues to advance the development and testing of the robot in preparation for FIH clinical trials in neurovascular procedures.

“The Vasco robotic platform has the potential to redefine how we approach the most complex and time-sensitive neurovascular procedures, ultimately improving both patient outcomes and procedural efficiencies,” said Mor Dayan, CEO of Navigantis. “This is one of the first steps towards enabling robotic telesurgery for stroke patients, which could dramatically reduce response times and enhance access to timely critical care.”

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