Full robotic endovascular treatment for various head and neck hemorrhagic lesions

Abstract

Background The use of robotics in neuro-interventional surgery is continuously expanding with promises to increase accuracy and safety. We have previously described the first human, full robotic intervention using the CorPath GRX Robotic System. Here we report a series of fully robotic interventions and outcomes using this robotic device for endovascular treatment of extracranial embolization. Methods The patient and disease characteristics, procedural details, and imaging outcomes of consecutive patients undergoing robotically assisted extracranial embolization between October 2021 and August 2022. Results Six patients underwent robotically assisted extracranial embolization of head and neck hemorrhagic lesions. Four patients presented with uncontrolled epistaxis or hemoptysis associated with nasopharyngeal tumors and one patient had epistaxis due to COVID-19 infection complications. All patients were treated with coil embolization and four patients were also treated with particles. All procedures were performed with robotic intervention, whereas four procedures required partial manual conversion. There was no morbidity or complications associated with the procedures and desired outcome was achieved in 100% of the procedures. Conclusion Our series support the feasibility of complete robotic intervention using the CorPath GRX System with accurate control of the guiding catheter, microcatheter, wire, and coil delivery with successful treatment of acute extracranial hemorrhagic lesions.