Robot-assisted endovascular treatment of hepatic artery aneurysm: A case report

OBJECTIVE

Robot-assisted endovascular surgery has emerged as a new alternative to interventional procedures, with its application expanding to peripheral and visceral approaches. The objective of this paper is to describe a robot-assisted endovascular treatment in splanchnic arteries.

METHODS

A case report of an asymptomatic male patient with an incidental finding of a saccular aneurysm of the proper hepatic artery measuring 3.7 × 2.7 cm and distant 0.6 cm from the origin of the gastroduodenal artery.

RESULTS

Using a robot-assisted endovascular technique (CorPath GRX platform - Siemens), 2 guidewires were advanced in parallel: the first one was placed inside the aneurysm sac, while the second one was placed in the proper hepatic artery distal to the aneurysm; through the first guidewire, a balloon was advanced, positioned distally to the aneurysm, and through the second one, a microcatheter was advanced. Embolization of the aneurysm was performed with the use of coils and Onyx. Control exam performed 120 days after embolization revealed treated aneurysm and preserved distal arterial flow.

CONCLUSION

Using a robotic platform for navigation in splanchnic territory is safe and effective.

A Steerable and Electromagnetically Tracked Catheter: Navigation Performance Compared With Image Fusion in a Swine Model

PURPOSE

Cannulation of visceral vessels is necessary during fenestrated and branched endovascular aortic repair. In an attempt to reduce the associated radiation and contrast dose, an electromagnetically (EM) trackable and manually steerable catheter has been developed. The purpose of this preclinical swine study was to evaluate the cannulation performance and compare the cannulation performance using either EM tracking or image fusion as navigation tools.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Both renal arteries, the superior mesenteric artery, and the celiac trunk were attempted to be cannulated using a 7F steerable, EM trackable catheter in 3 pigs. Seven operators attempted cannulation using first 3-dimensional (3D) image navigation with EM tracking and then conventional image fusion guidance. The rate of successful cannulation was recorded, as well as procedure time and radiation exposure. Due to the lack of an EM trackable guidewire, cannulations that required more than 1 attempt were attempted only with image fusion. The EM tracking position data were registered to preoperative 3D images using a vessel-based registration algorithm.

RESULTS

A total of 72 cannulations were attempted with both methods, and 79% (57) were successful on the first attempt for both techniques. There was no difference in cannulation rate (p=1), and time-use was similar. Successful cannulation with image fusion was achieved in 97% of cases when multiple attempts were allowed.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated the feasibility of a steerable and EM trackable catheter with 3D image navigation. Navigation performance with EM tracking was similar to image fusion, without statistically significant differences in cannulation rates and procedure times. Further studies are needed to demonstrate this utility in patients with aortic disease.

CLINICAL IMPACT

Electromagnetic tracking in combination with a novel steerable catheter reduces radiation and contrast media doses while providing three-dimensional visualization and agile navigation during endovascular aortic procedures.

Robotic applications for intracardiac and endovascular procedures

The large incisions and long recovery periods that accompany traditional cardiac surgery procedures along with the constant patient demand for minimally invasive procedures have motivated cardiac surgeons to implement the robotic technologies in their armamentarium. The robotic systems have been utilized successfully in various cardiac procedures including atrial septal defect repair, left atrial myxoma resection, MAZE procedure and left ventricular lead placement, yet coronary artery bypass and mitral valve repair still comprise the vast majority of them. This review analyzes the development of the robot-assisted cardiac surgery in recent years, its outcomes, advantages, disadvantages, its patient selection criteria as well as its economic feasibility. Robotic endovascular surgery, albeit its limited applications, is presently considered an attractive alternative to conventional endovascular approaches. The increased flexibility and precision along with the wider range of accessible anatomy provided by the endovascular robotic systems, have increased the pool of patients that can be offered minimally invasive treatment options and have helped to overcome many limitations of the traditional endovascular procedures. With this review we aimed to summarize the applications of the commercially available endovascular robotic devices, as well as the limitations and the future perspectives in the field of endovascular robotic surgery.

Robot-assisted techniques in vascular and endovascular surgery

For thousands of years, robots have inspired the imagination of humans, but it was only about 35 years ago that a robot was used for the first time in medicine. Since then, robot-assisted procedures have become increasingly popular in urology, general surgical specialties, and gynecology. Robot-assisted vascular surgery was first introduced in 2002 and was thought to overcome the limitations of laparoscopy. However, it did not gain widespread popularity, and its usage is still limited to a few centers worldwide. Robot-assisted endovascular procedures, on the other hand, while still in its infancy, have become a promising alternative to existing techniques. The improvements of the robotic systems promote better surgical performance and reduce occupational hazards for vascular and endovascular surgeons. A comprehensive review of literature was performed using the search terms “robotic,” “robot assisted,” “vascular surgery,” and “aortic” for surgical procedures or “robotic,” “robot assisted,” and “endovascular” for endovascular procedures. Full text articles that were published between January 1990 and March 2021 were included. This review summarizes the development of the techniques for robot-assisted vascular and endovascular surgery in recent years, its outcomes, advantages, disadvantages, and perspectives.

Robotics for neuroendovascular intervention: Background and primer

The simultaneous growth of robotic-assisted surgery and telemedicine in recent years has only been accelerated by the recent coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Robotic assistance for neurovascular intervention has garnered significant interest due to opportunities for tele-stroke models of care for remote underserved areas. Lessons learned from medical robots in interventional cardiology and neurosurgery have contributed to incremental but vital advances in medical robotics despite important limitations. In this article, we discuss robot types and their clinical justification and ethics, as well as a general overview on available robots in thoracic/abdominal surgery, neurosurgery, and cardiac electrophysiology. We conclude with current clinical research in neuroendovascular intervention and a perspective on future directions.

First-in-Human Clinical Application of the Medyria TrackCath System in Endovascular Repair of Complex Aortic Aneurysms (ACCESS Trial): A Prospective Multicenter Single-Arm Clinical Trial

PURPOSE

The Medyria TrackCath Catheter (MedTCC) is an innovative, thermal convection-based blood flow velocity (BFV) tracking catheter that may be used during complex aortic endovascular procedures for identification and catheterization of target orifices. The ACCESS Trial analyzes the safety and performance of the MedTCC for targeted vessel catheterization to generally evaluate the feasibility of thermal convection-based BFV.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a first-in-human, proof-of-concept, prospective single-arm multicenter clinical trial between March 2018 and February 2019 in patients who underwent endovascular aortic procedures at 4 high-volume centers. During these procedures, the MedTCC was advanced over a guidewire through the femoral access. The D-shape was enfolded in the reno-visceral part of the aorta and target orifices were identified and catheterized with a guidewire via the side port of the MedTCC through BFV tracking. BFV measurements were performed at baseline (Baseline-BFV), alignment to the orifice (Orifice-BFV), and following catheterization (Confirmation-BFV) to prove correct identification and catheterization of target orifices. The procedural success rate, the catheterization success rate, procedure-related parameters, and (serious) adverse events ((S)AE) during the follow-up were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 38 patients were included in the safety group (SG) and 26 in the performance group (PG). The procedural success rate was 89% (PG), the MedTCC catheterization success rate was 98% (PG). The MedTCC reliably measured BFV changes indicated by significant differences in BFV between Baseline-BFV and Orifice-BFV (p<0.05). Median (interquartile range; IQR) fluoroscopy time per orifice was 5.0 (1.5-8.5) minutes [total surgery 49 (26-74) minutes], median (IQR) contrast agent used per orifice was 1.0 (0-5.0) mL [total surgery 80 (40-100) mL], and median (IQR) MedTCC-based procedural time was 3.0 (2.0-6.0) minutes. There was no device-related SAE.

CONCLUSIONS

The ACCESS Trial suggests that BFV measurement allows for reliable target orifice identification and catheterization. The use of MedTCC is safe and generates short fluoroscopy time and low contrast agent use, which in turn might facilitate complex endovascular procedures.

First in Human Clinical Feasibility Study of Endovascular Navigation with Fiber Optic RealShape (FORS) Technology

OBJECTIVE

Endovascular procedures are conventionally conducted using two dimensional fluoroscopy. A new technology platform, Fiber Optic RealShape (FORS), has recently been introduced allowing real time, three dimensional visualisation of endovascular devices using fiberoptic technology. It functions as an add on to conventional fluoroscopy and may facilitate endovascular procedures. This first in human study assessed the feasibility of FORS in clinical practice.

METHODS

A prospective cohort feasibility study was performed between July and December 2018. Patients undergoing (regular or complex) endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) or endovascular peripheral lesion repair (EVPLR) were recruited. FORS guidance was used exclusively during navigational tasks such as target vessel catheterisation or crossing of stenotic lesions. Three types of FORS enabled devices were available: a flexible guidewire, a Cobra-2 catheter, and a Berenstein catheter. Devices were chosen at the physician's discretion and could comprise any combination of FORS and non-FORS devices. The primary study endpoint was technical success of the navigational tasks using FORS enabled devices. Secondary study endpoints were user experience and fluoroscopy time.

RESULTS

The study enrolled 22 patients: 14 EVAR and eight EVPLR patients. Owing to a technical issue during start up, the FORS system could not be used in one EVAR. The remaining 21 procedures proceeded without device or technology related complications and involved 66 navigational tasks. In 60 tasks (90.9%), technical success was achieved using at least one FORS enabled device. Users rated FORS based image guidance "better than standard guidance" in 16 of 21 and "equal to standard guidance" in five of 21 procedures. Fluoroscopy time ranged from 0.0 to 52.2 min. Several tasks were completed without or with only minimal X-ray use.

CONCLUSION

Real time navigation using FORS technology is safe and feasible in abdominal and peripheral endovascular procedures. FORS has the potential to improve intra-operative image guidance. Comparative studies are needed to assess these benefits and potential radiation reduction.

Comparison of manual versus robot-assisted contralateral gate cannulation in patients undergoing endovascular aneurysm repair

PURPOSE

Robotic endovascular technology may offer advantages over conventional manual catheter techniques. Our aim was to compare the endovascular catheter path-length (PL) for robotic versus manual contralateral gate cannulation during endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), using video motion analysis (VMA).

METHODS

This was a multicentre retrospective cohort study with fluoroscopic video recordings of 24 EVAR cases (14 robotic, 10 manual) performed by experienced operators (> 50 procedures), obtained from four leading European centres. Groups were comparable with no statistically significant differences in aneurysm size (p = 0.47) or vessel tortuosity (p = 0.68). Two trained assessors used VMA to calculate the catheter PL during contralateral gate cannulation for robotic versus manual approaches.

RESULTS

There was a high degree of inter-observer reliability (Cronbach's α > 0.99) for VMA. Median robotic PL was 35.7 cm [interquartile range, IQR (30.8-51.0)] versus 74.1 cm [IQR (44.3-170.4)] for manual cannulation, p = 0.019. Robotic cases had a median cannulation time of 5.33 min [IQR (4.58-6.49)] versus 1.24 min [IQR (1.13-1.35)] in manual cases (p = 0.0083). Generated efficiency ratios (PL/aorto-iliac centrelines) was 1.6 (1.2-2.1) in robotic cases versus 2.6 (1.7-7.0) in manual, p = 0.031.

CONCLUSION

Robot-assisted contralateral gate cannulation in EVAR leads to decreased navigation path lengths and increased economy of movement compared with manual catheter techniques. The benefit could be maximised by prioritising robotic catheter shaping over habituated reliance on guidewire manipulation. Robotic technology has the potential to reduce the endovascular footprint during manipulations even for experienced operators with the added advantage of zero radiation exposure.

Current utilization and future directions of robotic-assisted endovascular surgery

INTRODUCTION

Endovascular surgery has become the standard of care to treat most vascular diseases using a minimally invasive approach. The CorPath system further enhances the potential and enables surgeons to perform robotic-assisted endovascular procedures in interventional cardiology, peripheral vascular surgery, and neurovascular surgery. With the introduction of this technique, the operator can perform multiple steps of endovascular interventions outside of the radiation field with high precision movements even from long-geographical distances.

AREAS COVERED

The first and second-generation CorPath systems are currently the only commercially available robotic devices for endovascular surgery. This review article discusses the clinical experiences and outcomes with the robot, the advanced navigational features, and the results with recent hardware and software modifications, which enables the use of the system for neurovascular interventions, and long-distance interventional procedures.

EXPERT OPINION

A high procedural success was achieved with the CorPath robotic systems in coronary and peripheral interventions, and the device seems promising in neurovascular procedures. More experience is needed with robotic neurovascular interventions and with complex peripheral arterial cases. In the future, long-distance endovascular surgery can potentially transform the management and treatment of acute myocardial infarction and stroke, with making endovascular care more accessible for patients in remote areas.

Use of steerable catheters for endovascular procedures: Report of a CASE and literature review

We report a case of a celiac trunk stenting using a steerable guiding catheter, to fix a residual endoleak following fenestrated endovascular repair (FEVAR) of a thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA). A systematic search of the literature about the use of steerable catheters was also performed on Pubmed according to the PRISMA Guidelines, including all papers in which the device was used for in vivo endovascular procedures. In our case report, the patient had undergone a failed attempt of cannulation due to the presence of a severely angulated and stenosed ostium of the vessel. A steerable catheter was then used to fix the residual endoleak. The search of the Literature retrieved 544 papers. Of them, 13 met the inclusion criteria and were therefore assessed. The use of steerable sheaths and catheters was reported as effective and safe for the cannulation of 157 target vessels in 131 endovascular procedures, with a success rate of 95.5% and no complications. The use of a steerable guiding catheter in our experience was safe and effective for the selective cannulation of a severely stenosed and angulated celiac trunk, to correct a residual endoleak after FEVAR for TAAA. Steerable catheters could be useful tools for the selective cannulation of target vessels with a challenging ostium.

[Artificial intelligence in vascular surgery and vascular medicine]

New digital technologies will also gain in importance in vascular surgery. There is a wide field of potential applications. Simulation-based training of endovascular procedures can lead to improvement in procedure-specific parameters and reduce fluoroscopy and procedural times. The use of intraoperative image-guided navigation and robotics also enables a reduction of the radiation dose. Artificial intelligence can be used for risk stratification and individualization of treatment approaches. Health apps can be used to improve the follow-up care of patients.

Endovascular robotics

The current state and the future direction.

Design and Experimental Validation of an Active Catheter for Endovascular Navigation

Endovascular techniques have many advantages but rely strongly on operator skills and experience. Robotically steerable catheters have been developed but few are clinically available. We describe here the development of an active and efficient catheter based on shape memory alloys (SMA) actuators. We first established the specifications of our device considering anatomical constraints. We then present a new method for building active SMA-based catheters. The proposed method relies on the use of a core body made of three parallel metallic beams and integrates wire-shaped SMA actuators. The complete device is encapsulated into a standard 6F catheter for safety purposes. A trial-and-error campaign comparing 70 different prototypes was conducted to determine the best dimensions of the core structure and of the SMA actuators with respect to the imposed specifications. The final prototype was tested on a silicon-based arterial model and on a 23 kg pig. During these experiments, we were able to cannulate the supra-aortic trunks and the renal arteries with different angulations and without any complication. A second major contribution of this paper is the derivation of a reliable mathematical model for predicting the bending angle of our active catheters. We first use this model to state some general qualitative rules useful for an iterative dimensional optimization. We then perform a quantitative comparison between the actual and the predicted bending angles for a set of 13 different prototypes. The relative error is less than 20% for bending angles between 100 deg and 150 deg, which is the interval of interest for our applications.

Robotics in percutaneous cardiovascular interventions

INTRODUCTION

The fundamental technique of performing percutaneous cardiovascular (CV) interventions has remained unchanged and requires operators to wear heavy lead aprons to minimize exposure to ionizing radiation. Robotic technology is now being utilized in interventional cardiology partially as a direct result of the increasing appreciation of the long-term occupational hazards of the field. This review was undertaken to report the clinical outcomes of percutaneous robotic coronary and peripheral vascular interventions. Areas covered: A systematic literature review of percutaneous robotic CV interventions was undertaken. The safety and feasibility of percutaneous robotically-assisted CV interventions has been validated in simple to complex coronary disease, and iliofemoral disease. Studies have shown that robotically-assisted PCI significantly reduces operator exposure to harmful ionizing radiation without compromising procedural success or clinical efficacy. In addition to the operator benefits, robotically-assisted intervention has the potential for patient advantages by allowing more accurate lesion length measurement, precise stent placement and lower patient radiation exposure. However, further investigation is required to fully elucidate these potential benefits. Expert commentary: Incremental improvement in robotic technology and telecommunications would enable treatment of an even broader patient population, and potentially provide remote robotic PCI.

The Development of Robotic Technology in Cardiac and Vascular Interventions

Robotic technology has been used in cardiovascular medicine for over a decade, and over that period its use has been expanded to interventional cardiology and percutaneous coronary and peripheral vascular interventions. The safety and feasibility of robotically assisted interventions has been demonstrated in multiple studies ranging from simple to complex coronary lesions, and in the treatment of iliofemoral and infrapopliteal disease. These studies have shown a reduction in operator exposure to harmful ionizing radiation, and the use of robotics has the intuitive benefit of alleviating the occupational hazard of operator orthopedic injuries. In addition to the interventional operator benefits, robotically assisted intervention has the potential to also be beneficial for patients by allowing more accurate lesion length measurement, stent placement, and patient radiation exposure; however, more investigation is required to elucidate these benefits fully.