World first: Surgical eye robot performs precision-injection in patient with retinal vein occlusion
Adapted Media Release
Published: Friday 27 January 2017
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Surgeons at University Hospitals Leuven have been the first to operate on a patient with retinal vein occlusion using a surgical robot. Operated by an eye surgeon, the robot uses a needle of barely 0.03 millimetre to inject a thrombolytic drug into the retinal vein of the patient. KU Leuven developed the robot and needle specifically for this procedure.
The operation was successful and is a real world first: the procedure shows that it is technically possible to safely dissolve a blood clot from the retinal vein with robotic support. A phase 2 trial now has to show what the clinical impact is for patients with retinal vein occlusion, a disorder that can lead to blindness.
In case of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) there is a blood clot in one of the retinal veins. This leads to reduced eyesight or even blindness in the eye affected. At the moment, treatment consists of monthly injections in the eye that only reduce the side effects of the thrombosis. Until recently, taking away the blood clot itself was not possible.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/315507.php
