The World’s First-in-Human Telerobotic Coronary Intervention Performed in India
India has achieved an important breakthrough in the history of medical science with the World’s First-in-Human Telerobotic Coronary Intervention by Dr. Tejas Patel, Chairman and Chief Interventional Cardiologist of the Apex Heart Institute at Ahmedabad. This is the world’s First Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) conducted from a remote location outside of the catherization lab.
The operation was performed from Swaminarayan Akshardham temple, located at a distance of roughly 32 km from catherization lab of the Apex Heart Institute in Ahmedabad, where the patient was admitted and attended to by Dr. Sanjay Shah.
The success of this study paves the way for large-scale, long-distance telerobotic platforms across the globe.
Dr. Tejas Patel, Chairman and Chief Interventional Cardiologist of the Apex Heart Institute, said, ‘The first-in-human case of remote robotic PCI represents a landmark event for interventional medicine. Cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, are the number one cause of death worldwide resulting in nearly 18 million deaths per year. The application of telerobotics in India (and across the world) has the potential to impact a significant number of lives by providing access to care that may not otherwise have been possible. I am honoured to contribute to this historic groundbreaking research which will earn a lot of glory and global respect for my country.’
Telerobotic coronary interventional platform has the potential to dramatically improve patient access for both elective and emergent percutaneous coronary interventions and stroke in rural and underserved populations – as well as reducing time to treat emergent procedures such as STEMI and stroke and will also reduce variability in operator skills and thus, improve clinical outcomes. As a world first – the possibilities are endless.
Dr Tejas Patel used CorPath’ technology of Corindus Vascular Robotics, Inc. to conduct the first-in-human (FIH) telerobotic coronary intervention. Mark Toland, President and Chief Executive Officer of Corindus, stated, ‘Cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, are the world’s most significant and undertreated clinical problem due to limited access to specialized, timely medical care. As a result of existing barriers to care, including increased global poverty and a declining number of trained specialists, only a fraction of patients worldwide receives life-saving treatment, resulting in substantial death or disability. We anticipate that our technology will revolutionize cardiovascular disease treatment by providing specialized and timely medical care to anyone, anywhere.’
Cardiovascular disease, including stroke, are the number one causes of death worldwide resulting in nearly 18 million deaths per year. Geographic barriers, socioeconomic status and a rapidly shrinking number of skilled specialists significantly hinders patient access to timely, specialized cardiovascular care. This is especially of concern during highly emergent medical events, such as heart attacks and stroke, where ideal treatment must be received in as little as 90 minutes or within 24 hours, respectively, to avoid death or permanent disability.
