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Doctors from Scotland and the United States have performed what is considered a world-first stroke surgery utilizing robotic technology.

Prof Iris Grunwald, working at a research center, performed the distant clot removal - the extraction of vascular blockages after a brain attack - on a donated body that had been provided for research.

The professor was working from a treatment center in the location, while the body she was operating on while using the device was at another location at the academic institution.

Hours later, a neurosurgeon from the American state utilized the system to perform the pioneering long-distance operation from his Jacksonville base on a medical specimen in Dundee over 4,000 miles away.

The team has labeled it a potential "revolutionary development" if it becomes approved for use on patients.

The medics think this technology could revolutionize stroke care, as a delay in accessing expert care can have a significant effect on the recovery prospects.

"It seemed like we were observing the first glimpse of the future," said Prof Grunwald.

"While in the past this was thought to be futuristic fantasy, we demonstrated that each phase of the operation can already be done."

The Scottish institution is the worldwide teaching facility of the international stroke organization, and is the exclusive site in the UK where medical professionals can work with donated bodies with human blood circulated in the arteries to simulate procedures on a live human.

"This was the first time that we could execute the entire surgical process in a actual human specimen to prove that every phase of the procedure are possible," stated the primary researcher.

A healthcare leader, the director of a stroke charity, labeled the intercontinental surgery as "a remarkable innovation".

"During many years, individuals from isolated regions have been limited in obtaining to thrombectomy," she continued.

"This type of automation could correct the imbalance which persists in brain care throughout Britain."

How does the system function?

An blockage stroke takes place when an vascular pathway is clogged by a clot.

This disrupts blood and oxygen supply to the cerebral tissue, and neural cells cease working and die.

The superior intervention is a surgical extraction, where a surgeon uses catheters and wires to clear the obstruction.

But what occurs when a person can't get to a expert who can perform the surgery?

Prof Grunwald explained the trial showed a mechanical device could be attached to the same catheters and wires a surgeon would typically employ, and a medical staff who is attending the case could readily join the tools.

The specialist, in a different place, could then hold and move their individual tools, and the automated system then executes comparable motions in immediate sequence on the individual to perform the thrombectomy.

The individual would be in a hospital operating room, while the specialist could perform the procedure via the advanced machine from any location - even their personal residence.

Prof Grunwald and the neurosurgeon could view real-time imaging of the body in the experiments, and observe results in immediate feedback, with the Scottish specialist explaining it took only 20 minutes of preparation.

Major corporations prominent manufacturers were participated in the project to guarantee the communication link of the automated system.

"To operate from the America to Scotland with a 120 millisecond lag - a moment - is truly remarkable," stated Dr Hanel.

The future of stroke treatment

Prof Grunwald, who has won an award for her research and is also the executive member of the international medical organization, explained there were primary challenges with a conventional clot removal - a worldwide deficiency of doctors who can conduct it, and treatment depends on your geographical position.

In Scotland, there are just three locations patients can obtain the treatment - urban centers. If you reside elsewhere, you must journey.

"The treatment is extremely time-critical," said Prof Grunwald.

"For every six minutes of waiting, you have a 1% less chance of having a positive result.

"This system would now provide a new way where you're not depending on where you reside - saving the valuable minutes where your cerebral matter is otherwise dying."

Medical statistics showed there were {9,625 ischaemic strokes|numerous cerebral events|