A groundbreaking robotic platform developed by Glasgow-based med-tech company CardioPrecision has been used in a world-first clinical trial in the United States, enabling aortic valve replacement through a small neck incision.
The CoreVista® Robot Enabling Platform was successfully used in live surgery at the renowned Cleveland Clinic, marking a major advance in minimally invasive cardiac procedures.
The platform, which was used initially on human cadavers last year, has now been deployed in live surgery with a patient under the guidance of Dr. Marijan Koprivanac and his team at Cleveland Clinic.
The ‘transcervical’ approach is intended to minimise risks associated with conventional open heart surgery and means patients experience less pain and faster recovery.
This pioneering procedure represents a significant advancement in the field of cardiac surgery, offering a minimally invasive alternative for patients with aortic valve disease. Early clinical data was presented by Dr Koprivanac at the American Association for Thoracic Surgery annual meeting and the International Society for Minimally Invasive cardiothoracic Surgery annual meeting in May.
He demonstrated that CoreVista® technology’s versatility allows for implantation of either sutureless or conventional sutured valves.
“Combining the artificial heart valve with this new surgical technology means patients should experience less pain and less time in the hospital following heart surgery,” said Dr Koprivanac. “In fact, we believe that this may be one of the least invasive surgical heart valve replacement options available.”
The surgical breakthrough represents an important step for the company – originally spun out of the NHS through InnoScot Health – in its ambition of progressing towards clinical cases.
Fraser Sutherland, MD, chief medical officer of CardioPrecision, said: “The journey to realise our vision – to enable heart surgery to be performed through a small incision in the neck – began over a decade ago and is already delivering tangible patient benefits.
“It’s truly gratifying to witness the concept become a reality. Initially developed as a totally endoscopic procedure, we incorporated robot assistance to harness the exceptional dexterity afforded by surgical robots. Our aspiration is that every cardiac surgeon could offer this procedure to their patients.”
Graham Watson, executive chair of InnoScot Health, said: “We congratulate CardioPrecision on its landmark breakthrough in robotic-assisted aortic valve replacement (RAVR). It represents a vital step in producing improved outcomes thanks to minimally invasive techniques for easier procedures, much quicker healing, and fundamentally, making patients’ lives better.”