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UAE firm to perform live telerobotic surgery trial at Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week

Live showcase of remote robotic surgery for emergency procedures

In a world first, a UAE-owned company will be performing a live robotic surgery in Abu Dhabi on a model in South Korea, demonstrating the immense power of remote telerobotic surgery for emergency interventional procedures in cases like stroke and cardiovascular emergencies.

XCath, an early-stage medical device company dedicated to expanding endovascular treatment robotic systems, owned in part by Sharjah-based Crescent Enterprises, will demonstrate a live robotic telesurgery on a model during Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week (ADGHW), hosted by the Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DoH).

The demonstration, to be held at ADNEC on Wednesday May 15, will include a live telerobotic model trial procedure between Abu Dhabi and South Korea, demonstrating XCath platform’s potential to support remote minimally invasive procedures for the management of acute neurovascular conditions.

The demonstration will be held by Dr Vitor Mendes Pereira, Director of Endovascular Research and Innovation at St. Michael’s Hospital Toronto, Canada, who will conduct the procedure live on stage at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC).

“By enabling telerobotic procedures, we can provide a solution for reimagining complex care,” said Eduardo Fonseca, CEO of XCath. “Dr. Pereira is a pioneer in endovascular neurosurgery and shares our vision for advancing telerobotic treatment options, which has become a humanitarian and economic imperative for conditions such as stroke. The telerobotic model trial will demonstrate the viability of our platform as a solution to serving a need for new treatment options to expand access to care for patients globally.”

In the session XCath will introduce the company, navigation challenges, and an overview of its platform. XCath will also spotlight the transformative impact of the endovascular revolution for Abu Dhabi institutions, illustrating how advanced robotic treatments can purpose the UAE as a center for transformational clinical outcomes.

“This is a world first model demonstration of a telerobotic procedure for emergency care coming from Abu Dhabi to the world,” said Neeraj Agrawal, Executive Director of Crescent Enterprises and XCath Board Member. “Crescent Enterprises is dedicated to enabling disruptive companies like XCath to foster growth and innovation in the Middle East, and this demonstration underscores the tangible progress and potential of venture capital investments from the region.”

Dr. Pereira performed the world’s first robotic-assisted neurointerventional procedure in 2019, a stent-assisted coiling procedure to treat a large basilar aneurysm. He serves as a Professor of Surgery and Medical Imaging at the University of Toronto and is the lead scientist of the RADIS lab, which focuses on applying innovative technologies on the treatment of neurovascular diseases.