First Robotic Prostatic Artery Embolization Performed in the U.S.

Hansen Medical has completed the first robotic prostatic artery embolization in the U.S., using its Magellan Robotic System to treat a case of benign prostatic hyperplasia, the company said Thursday. The procedure was performed at Inova Alexandria Hospital in Alexandria, Va.

Sandeep Bagla, who performed the embolization, said Magellan enables interventional radiologists to treat enlarged prostrates less invasively, offering an attractive nonsurgical option for benign prostatic hyperplasia.

PAE therapy is a catheter-based approach that shrinks prostate size by reducing blood flow to the arteries that feed into it. When performed successfully, the patient’s symptoms are eliminated. However, current long-term therapies or invasive surgical options can result in complications such as pain, bleeding, incontinence or impotence — causing nearly 2 million men to forego treatment last year, Hansen notes. 

The Magellan Robotic System drives robotic catheters during endovascular procedures and offers better predictability, control and catheter stability as doctors navigate the catheter through the vasculature, the company adds.

The Magellan system was FDA-cleared in 2012, and the catheter it inserts into the patient was cleared in February of this year. Both are commercially available in the U.S. — Kellen Owings

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