Robotic Thrombectomy Revolutionizes Stroke Treatment, Expands Access to Care

On November 10, 2025, surgeons from the UK and US made medical history by performing the world's first remote-controlled stroke surgery. Operating from Dundee, Scotland, Dr. Iris Grunwald used a specialized robotic device developed by Lithuanian MedTech company Sentante to conduct a thrombectomy on a human cadaver. Meanwhile, Dr. Ricardo Hanel in Florida controlled the same procedure from over 4,000 miles away across the Atlantic Ocean.

Thrombectomy, the removal of a blood clot to restore blood flow, is a critical treatment for ischemic strokes, which kill an estimated 3.3 million people globally each year. However, access to this specialized procedure is limited, with only 212 thrombectomies performed in Scotland last year. The remote-controlled technology developed by Sentante aims to address this gap, allowing experts to perform the surgery from anywhere in the world.

According to Professor Grunwald, the ability to decouple expertise from geography could be a game-changer for stroke care. "Every six-minute delay in receiving treatment equates to a 1% lesser chance of a good outcome," she explained. "Remote robotics has the power to bring specialist care to patients, no matter where they are located."

Following the successful demonstration on a human cadaver, the research team now plans to move forward with clinical trials on live patients in 2026. Experts believe this breakthrough in tele-neurosurgery has the potential to dramatically improve access to life-saving stroke interventions worldwide.