Medical device company XCath announced on Nov. 12 the successful treatment of three patients with brain aneurysms using its endovascular robotic system at The Panama Clinic in Panama City, Panama.
Vitor Mendes Pereira performed the procedures alongside local principal investigator Anastasio Ameijeiras Sibauste. The achievement marks only the second time a surgical robot has been used for intracranial neurovascular intervention, according to XCath.
XCath said its EVR platform is the only EVR robotic system in development that has reached intracranial navigation or completed a neurointerventional treatment. The company also said the EVR platform is the first triaxial neurovascular robot to carry out a surgery.
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Brain Aneurysms Cause Around 500,000 Deaths Worldwide Every Year
About 6.8 million Americans have an unruptured brain aneurysm,or roughly 1 in 50 people, according to Brain Aneurysm Foundation data. Many show no symptoms or warning signs until the aneurysm ruptures, the foundation says.
Global data shows a severe picture as well, with roughly 500,000 deaths each year tied to ruptured aneurysms. A large portion of these losses occurs in individuals below the age of 50, the Brain Aneurysm Foundation says, with roughly half of all rupture cases leading to death. Survivors often face lasting neurological impact, with close to two-thirds living with permanent deficits of various kinds.
XCath's clinical team guided the EVR robotic platform through fragile brain pathways with extremely fine control that reached below a single millimeter, the company said. Each case involved treatment devices from multiple manufacturers, with the physicians placing flow-related tools plus intrasaccular implants through standard access routes throughout the entire session.
Two of the robotic sessions unfolded consecutively inside one operating room across a total window of roughly four hours. This sequence also created a world first for neurovascular robotics within a monoplane imaging environment, according to XCath.
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Making Elite Brain Surgery Skills More Accessible
"Neurovascular intervention for brain aneurysm requires operating with sub-millimetric precision, demanding exceptional control and consistency," Pereira said in XCath's statement. "With the success of these aneurysm procedures, XCath’s system has demonstrated the potential to enhance human performance and bring a new level of precision to complex neurovascular cases."
He expanded on this point by explaining how reliable robotic movements along with consistent execution may support the development of clinical skill across wider groups of physicians, which could create safer intervention pathways over time for difficult vessel work.
The Panama Clinic served as the host institution for these sessions, with a role that placed the center at the front of regional medical innovation as the team carried out this high-complexity work inside its neurovascular program, XCath said.
"These procedures mark a pivotal milestone in the evolution of neurointerventional care and establish Panama as a leading strategic hub for the development of new medical technologies," Ameijeiras said in XCath's statement. "By harnessing robotic capabilities, we can broaden global access to advanced neurovascular care and bridge care gaps stemming from geography and access."
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What Makes Intracranial Neurovascular Procedures Difficult To Perform
Intracranial navigation presents extraordinary complexity due to the fragile and tortuous nature of the neurovasculature. That complexity has limited the number of physicians who can perform necessary maneuvers to a very small group of highly skilled neurointerventionalists, according to XCath.
The company said its EVR system allows surgeons to place guidewires, catheters, and treatment devices throughout the intracranial vasculature with robotic precision.
“Unlocking clinical and commercial value in neurointervention starts with making life-saving intracranial care more replicable, more precise, and more accessible when every minute counts,” XCath CEO Eduardo Fonseca said in the company's statement. “This milestone is a testament to the passion and dedication of our robotics, clinical, and investor team.”
XCath said its EVR system has local and telerobotic capabilities. In May 2024, the XCath team successfully performed the world’s first public demonstration of a simulated, remote mechanical thrombectomy, during which Pereira performed the procedure from Abu Dhabi on a simulated patient in South Korea.
Founded in 2017, XCath operates campuses in Houston and Pangyo, South Korea. The XCath endovascular robotic system is currently under development and is not yet cleared for commercial distribution in any country.
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