A robot-assisted angioplasty with precision stent placement has been launched by a private hospital chain in Hyderabad.
“The cost of the procedure is almost the same as regular angioplasty except for the charge of the cassette that takes up the cost by about ₹1 lakh. But the precision and success rate is higher,” said Dr. P.C. Rath of Apollo Hospitals, which has acquired the equipment for the procedure.
The hospital officials said that they have performed 15 such procedures using the equipment successfully.
Coronary angioplasty is performed to clear blocks in the arteries of the heart to restore blood flow. In the robot-assisted procedure, the surgeon sits behind a console with a joystick that leads to enhanced visualisation, better control and more accurate positioning. The added benefit is lower radiation exposure for both the doctor as well as the patient.
The equipment allows instantaneous sub-mm measurement and precise positioning with 1 mm movement reducing measurement errors, need for extra stents, and incidence of longitudinal geographic miss.
