Andromeda Surgical recently reported a groundbreaking event as a surgeon in Chile successfully performed a robotic-assisted holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) using their cutting-edge platform. This is recognized as the world’s inaugural robotic-assisted HoLEP procedure.
Dr. Cristián Trucco from Universidad Católica pioneered this procedure utilizing a tablet interface to launch the ASTRA clinical trial. Alongside Dr. Rodrigo Ledezma, Dr. Trucco plans to continue the enrollment of patients in the forthcoming months.
The innovative endoscopic robotic platform by Andromeda is crafted to seamlessly integrate with existing surgical instruments, offering surgeons enhanced precision and effectiveness during transurethral operations.
Established in 2023, Andromeda impressively transitioned its platform from initial design to clinical application in merely 18 months. Their objective is to empower urologists to perform HoLEP with expert proficiency, addressing benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, or enlarged prostate).
Anticipated to commence participant recruitment in New Zealand by early 2025, Andromeda’s future plans involve broadening the system’s capabilities to cater to additional medical conditions and integrating more autonomous features. The company aims to further ease the learning curve and enhance patient outcomes.
“Witnessing the fruits of our team’s dedication benefit real patients is immensely satisfying,” remarked Nick Damiano, CEO and co-founder of Andromeda Surgical. “This operation marked both the first robotic-assisted HoLEP in history and the first surgery conducted via a tablet, as far as we know. This achievement sets the foundation for our journey to ensure every patient receives superior surgical results every single time.”