Doctors have achieved what's believed to be a world-first medical breakthrough by performing remote stroke procedures on human cadavers using robotic technology. Prof Iris Grunwald from the University of Dundee operated from Ninewells Hospital on a body located at a university facility elsewhere, successfully completing a thrombectomy—a procedure to remove blood clots after a stroke. Hours later, Florida neurosurgeon Ricardo Hanel went even further, performing the first transatlantic surgery from Jacksonville on a body in Dundee, over 4,000 miles away.
The experiments used four cadavers donated to medical science and fluid that mimics human blood. While remote thrombectomies have been performed before on silicon models, 3D replicas, and animals, this marks the first time the complete procedure has been carried out on actual human bodies. The robotics were provided by Lithuanian firm Sentante, with tech giants Nvidia and Ericsson ensuring connectivity. Dr Hanel operated with just a 120-millisecond lag—approximately the time it takes to blink.
The technology works by connecting a robot to the same catheters and wires a surgeon would normally use. A medic with the patient attaches the wires, while the remote surgeon manipulates their own set of instruments. The robot then replicates these movements in real time to remove the clot. The remote doctor can monitor live X-rays and track progress throughout, with Prof Grunwald noting it required only 20 minutes of training.
Medical experts are calling this a potential "game changer" for stroke treatment, which is extremely time-sensitive. Every six-minute delay in treatment reduces a patient's chance of good recovery by 1%. Currently, access to thrombectomies depends heavily on location—in Scotland, the procedure is only available in Dundee, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, meaning many patients must travel significant distances during critical time windows.
The statistics highlight a stark treatment gap. Of the 9,625 ischemic strokes in Scotland last year, only 2.2% of patients received a thrombectomy, while across the UK only 3.9% received the procedure. Juliet Bouverie, chief executive of the Stroke Association, called it "a remarkable innovation" that could address the inequity in stroke treatment, particularly for people in remote and rural areas who have long been deprived of access to specialist care.
The team now hopes to participate in clinical trials next year. Prof Grunwald, who has won an Innovate UK award for this work, said the experiment demonstrated that "every step of the procedure can already be done," transforming what was once considered science fiction into a glimpse of the future where expert stroke treatment could be available to everyone, regardless of location.
Original story by Graham Fraser, BBC Scotland
ByGraham FraserBBC Scotland
