Acute myocardial infarction (AMI), a critical medical emergency, occurs due to partial or complete blockage of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart. This blockage, if untreated, can cause irreversible heart cell damage. Consequently, rapid and precise intervention is essential to mitigate harm. A notable advancement in AMI treatment is robotic percutaneous angioplasty. This cutting-edge technique allows blocked coronary arteries to be reopened with millimetric precision, enhancing safety for both patients and operators. At the forefront of this innovation, the Clinical, Interventional, and Coronary Intensive Care Unit (UTIC) at IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, led by Dr. Francesco Bedogni, has adopted this approach, highlighting its potential to reduce risks and Policlinico San Donato, a prominent cardiology center, has invested in Robocath, an advanced robotic system that enables cardiologists to perform percutaneous angioplasty accurately and safely. Its 24-hour cath centers ensure specialists are available to start angioplasty within 20 minutes of an emergency call—a process that previously relied on complex manual techniques. The robotic platform improves patient outcomes and allows operators to control the procedure outside the operating room, ensuring their safety and minimizing radiation exposure. Currently, the R-One+ robotic platform, or Robocath, is the only available system for robotic percutaneous angioplasty, with IRCCS Policlinico San Donato being the sole center in Italy equipped with it. The benefits of robotic technology in interventional cardiology include: 1. Precision: The ability to move equipment in millimeter increments allows for the exact placement of stents unaffected by the patient’s movements. 2. Physician Comfort: The operator no longer needs to wear heavy lead aprons for X-ray protection when working outside the operating room, which improves focus and facilitates easy access to patient data, especially during emergencies. 3. Potential for Remote Operations: Still under development, this aspect of telemedicine could allow specialists to perform angioplasties remotely. #hospitals #innovation #doh #research #Robotic
