Andromeda Surgical announced that a surgeon in Chile performed a robotic-assisted holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) with its platform.
The company says this marks the world’s first robotic-assisted HoLEP procedure. Dr. Cristián Trucco of Universidad Católica performed the case via a tablet interface to kick off the ASTRA clinical trial. Trucco and Dr. Rodrigo Ledezma intend to continue enrolling patients in the coming months.
Andromeda designed its endoscopic robotic platform to integrate seamlessly with existing surgical tools. It aims to provide surgeons with enhanced control and efficiency during transurethral procedures.
Founded in 2023, Andromeda says it brought its platform from initial concept to clinical use in just 18 months. It aims to enable urologists to perform HoLEP at an expert level to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH or enlarged prostate).
The company expects to begin enrollment for the study in New Zealand in early 2025. Its next steps include expanding the system’s capabilities to support additional indications and integrating increasing levels of autonomy. The company wants to further reduce learning curves and improve patient outcomes.
“It’s rewarding to see our team’s hard work translate to real patient benefit,” said Nick Damiano, CEO and co-founder of Andromeda Surgical. “This case was the first robotic-assisted HoLEP procedure in history, and as far as we know, the first surgery performed using a tablet. This is the first step towards our mission to give every patient access to the best possible surgical outcomes every time.”
