Newswise — Baltimore, Maryland – Surgeons have successfully used a remote controlled robotic system to operate inside the human eye, paving the way for future robotic assistance in clinical treatments that require extreme precision and stability, such as the controlled delivery of gene therapy and stem cells. The research is being presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Baltimore, Md.

Twelve patients requiring surgery on their retinas were recruited into the randomized clinical trial. Six had surgery with the robot and six received the standard human manual approach.

In the robot group, the total number of retinal micro-hemorrhage events (bleeding) was two, compared with five in the manual group.

Abstract title: Results from the first use of a robot to operate inside the human eye Presentation start/end time: Monday, May 8, 2017, 8:30 – 8:45am Location: Ballroom 3 Abstract number: 1185

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The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include nearly 12,000 eye and vision researchers from over 75 countries. ARVO advances research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders. 

All abstracts accepted for presentation at the ARVO Annual Meeting represent previously unpublished data and conclusions. This research may be proprietary or may have been submitted for journal publication. Embargo policy: Journalists must seek approval from the presenter(s) before reporting data from paper or poster presentations. Press releases or stories on information presented at the ARVO Annual Meeting may not be released or published until the conclusion of the presentation.