Robocath successfully completes first robotic coronary angioplasties in Africa

Rouen, France, December 16, 2019 – Robocath, a company that designs, develops and commercializes cardiovascular robotic systems for the treatment of vascular diseases, today announces it has successfully completed six robotic coronary angioplasties with R-One™, a first for the continent of Africa. These Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI) were performed by Dr Faizel Lorgat, an interventional cardiologist at the Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital, Cape Town, as part of a distribution agreement with Vertice MedTechGroup. These procedures will lead to the creation of a purpose-made register that will add to the company’s clinical database, whilst it continues with a parallel European study of 60 patients.

Dr Faizel Lorgat is an experienced medical robotics practitioner. Having completed more than 1,500 robot-assisted electrophysiology procedures, he now plans to bring his expertise to bear for Robocath in the continuous improvement of R-One™ and subsequent generations of the device.

Lucien Goffart, CEO of Robocath, said, “Dr Faizel Lorgat is a recognized interventional cardiologist who shares our vision of the future of interventional medicine. He was one of the first robotic operators worldwide in the vascular sector and we are delighted today to share with the Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital team their satisfaction in completing this first for the continent of Africa.”

Philippe Bencteux, chairman and founder of Robocath, added, “We are delighted with the success of these first robotic procedures at the Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital, a model institution in the treatment of heart disease. This facility commemorates the surgeon who performed the world’s first heart transplant in Cape Town. We are pleased to see its determined focus on innovation and excellence being reflected and continuing today with our robot.”

Dr Faizel Lorgat, an interventional cardiologist at the Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital, said, “It is an honor to be the first to use R-One™ in a clinical setting in South Africa. Six interventions have been done with success since the installation of the system in the hospital. I am delighted to integrate R-One™ into my day-to-day practice. I have been following this project closely for several years, as my experience with robotics in electrophysiology has clearly shown me all the benefits that such devices can have for our profession and ultimately, for the patient.”

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