Canadian doctors recently presented new work suggesting the use of robotic surgery for more effective treatment of brain aneurysms.
The treatment of cerebral aneurysms by surgery responds to several methods: placement of an endovascular stent, clamps at the neck of the aneurysm, endovascular treatment by embolization, etc.
During the’International Stroke Conference 2020 of the American Stroke Association, conference devoted to cerebral vascular accidents which took place from February 19 to 21 in Los Angeles, Canadian scientists from the University of Toronto presented new work proposing to carry out these surgical acts thanks to …. a robot.
While robotic technology has already proven itself in surgery and cardiology, this is not yet the case for cerebrovascular procedures. In this study, the researchers used a robotic system specifically adapted for neurovascular procedures.
Software and hardware adaptations made it possible to equip the robot with microcatheters and other devices used in endovascular surgery procedures. These settings also ensure more precise fine motor control than previous system designs, the researchers say.
“The possibility of robotically performing the treatment of intracranial aneurysms is a great step forward in neuro-endovascular intervention”, considers Vitor Mendes Pereira, neurosurgeon and professor of medical imaging and surgery at the University of Toronto, who directed the work.
Six patients successfully operated
The first person to benefit from this system was a 64-year-old patient who presented to the hospital with an unruptured aneurysm at the base of the skull. The surgical team successfully used the robot to place a stent, then, using the same microcatheter, enter the aneurysm sac and secure the aneurysm by placing various coils.
All intracranial steps were performed with the robotic arm. Since then, five other patients have benefited from this surgery.
“The ability to deliver rapid care through remote robotics for time-critical procedures like strokes could have a huge impact on improving patient outcomes and enabling us to provide cutting-edge care to patients. patients everywhere, regardless of geography,” adds the doctor.
Last August, American researchers presented another innovative treatment track for follow the evolution of cerebral aneurysms. The idea is to place a wireless sensor in a blood vessel allowing for more frequent assessments, without having to use imaging dyes.
