A Georgia First at Grady Cardiac Center

Drs. Michael McDaniel and Rajesh Sachdeva

Grady’s Correll Cardiac Center is on the frontline of innovation, and the future of telemedicine. With the recent installation of the latest robotic technology in our newest catheterization lab, Grady cardiologists now have the capability to perform coronary interventions without having to be in the same room as the patient — a first in the state of Georgia.

From the control room, Drs. Rajesh Sachdeva and Michael McDaniel use joysticks to direct the robot to make millimeter-sized movements that are more precise for stent placement and measurement.

“Accurate coronary stenosis length measurement with precise stent positioning are a few movements that a robot can perform well, giving cardiologists better control during the procedure. Furthermore, the procedure allows the patient, nurses, techs and cardiologists to limit their exposure to radiation,” said Sachdeva, Morehouse School of Medicine interventional specialist at Grady.

McDaniel, director of Grady’s cath lab, said this robotic technology brings the possibility for future remote intervention for acute stroke and acute myocardial infarction.

“If we can perform this procedure in another room, the interventional telemedicine concept could be potentially applied to even greater distances. Cardiologists in other parts of the country or even other parts of the world can use the robot to perform coronary and neuro interventions. It could potentially save time and make access to care easier.  We are still a long way from that point, but technology like this takes us one step closer,” McDaniel said.