“I am fine, I am following the prescribed treatments and I will undergo the check-up in a month”. In recent days, the comedian and poet from Forlì, Pier Giuseppe Bertaccini, aka Sgabanaza, has been under the knife for a stenosis of the carotid artery with latest generation robotic technology. The operation took place at the “Maria Cecilia Hospital”, a high specialty hospital of Gvm Care & Research accredited with the national health service. Bertaccini, 76, can boast of a record: he is in fact the first European patient to have been operated on with the latest generation robotic technology. For the first time in Europe, a robot was used to insert a carotid stent.
The robotic guiding system used is the Corindus CorPath GRX and maximizes the operator’s precision in the field of vascular intervention and in particular in the insertion and positioning of catheters for the application of stents. “At Maria Cecilia Hospital we use this technology mainly for complex coronary intervention – explains Dr. Paolo Sbarzaglia, interventional cardiologist of the Diagnostic and Interventional Cardio-Angiology Laboratory directed by Dr. Fausto Castriota -. Considering that the devices, stents and catheters, used for the coronary arteries are similar to those used for interventions on the carotids, we have studied the possibility of being able to intervene with the robotic system to obtain greater precision in treating a stenosis of the carotid artery. This is the first surgery in Europe performed with CorPath GRX on the ‘carotid artery “.
Sgabanaza had been operated on in the past for a carotid angioplasty due to atherosclerosis, a pathology characterized by the accumulation of plaques on the internal walls of the vessels that prevent the correct flow of blood. The 76-year-old underwent periodic checks when, at the last meeting with the specialist, an Angio CT of the supraortic trunks presented an image compatible with a recovery of the pathology at the level of the carotid, near the stent placed during the previous procedure ( occurred over 6 years ago).
“Atherosclerosis at the level of the carotids tends to manifest itself again after years, despite perfectly successful interventions – comments Sbarzaglia -. Hence the importance of periodic follow-up for these subjects. The CT scan performed at Maria Cecilia Hospital in fact showed the presence of a very important stenosis of the right carotid inside the old stent. Angiography only confirmed the possibility of intervening with the aid of the robotic system for a minimally invasive percutaneous angioplasty “.
The intervention allowed to reopen the stenotic lumen and to revascularize in the correct way. The operation took place on Friday and the patient was discharged on Sunday, after just 2 days of hospitalization, returning home with an indication for antiplatelet therapy. In the future, the use of this cutting-edge technology could also allow remote procedures to be performed: “Thanks to the increasingly high-performance fiber connections, it will be possible to use robotic systems remotely, many kilometers away, allowing us to intervene promptly even from places far away from hospitals ”, concludes Sbarzaglia.
“I have known Maria Cecilia Hospital and the doctors who work there for many years, partly because many were schoolmates and friends of my children at a young age, partly because in the course of my life my path has crossed more times with this excellent structure and with the great humanity of its professionals – says Sgabanaza -. For example, years ago, after the first surgery with Dr. Sbarzaglia, I had a show scheduled on the day of my discharge from the hospital; they advised me to cancel it but not wanting to give up the evening, they decided to attend to make sure I was well during the performance. I found this bond so professional but at the same time friendly also on other occasions and with other teams, for example that of Neurosurgery of Dr. Borghesi who operated on my back and that of Prof. Motti who treated me with the Gamma Knife for a brain pathology. I have always felt at home , even better”.
Sgabanaza goes on to tell how he discovered he had to undergo this new carotid surgery: “Since I was diagnosed with diabetes I have been undergoing periodic checks. During one of these it emerged that a plaque obstructed the carotid in a severe manner. I immediately contacted the doctor. Dr. Sbarzaglia for all the necessary tests that led me to the intervention with the robotic system. Today I am fine, I am following the prescribed treatments and I will undergo a check-up in a month “. And he concludes by recounting his daily life a few days after his discharge from the hospital: “Every day I go to pick up my grandchildren from school and I continue to make them laugh, both as a grandfather and as an artist (I already plan to participate in festivals here in Romagna). I have received many messages on social media with wishes for a speedy recovery. I feel lucky and I think I can say that my intervention was a marriage between tradition, represented by me, and the future, in the guise of a robot led by the excellent doctors of Maria Cecilia Hospital “..
Sgabanaza talks about his experience
“I have known Maria Cecilia Hospital and the doctors who work there for many years, partly because many were schoolmates and friends of my children at a young age, partly because in the course of my life my path has crossed more times with this excellent structure and with the great humanity of its professionals – says Sgabanaza -. For example, years ago, after the first surgery with Dr. Sbarzaglia, I had a show scheduled on the day of my discharge from the hospital; the doctors advised me to cancel it but not wanting to give up the evening, they decided to attend to make sure I was okay during the performance. I found this bond so professional but at the same time friendly also on other occasions and with other teams, for example that of Dr. Borghesi who operated on my back and that of prof. Motti who treated me with the Gamma Knife for a brain pathology. I have always felt at home, even better ”.
Sgabanaza goes on to tell how he discovered he had to undergo this new carotid surgery: “Since I was diagnosed with diabetes I have been undergoing periodic checks. During one of these it emerged that a plaque obstructed the carotid in a severe manner. I immediately contacted Dr. Sbarzaglia for all the necessary exams that led me to the intervention with the robotic system. Today I am fine, I am following the prescribed treatments and I will undergo a check-up in a month “.
And he concludes by recounting his daily life a few days after his discharge from the hospital: “Every day I go to pick up my grandchildren from school and I continue to make them laugh, both as a grandfather and as an artist (I already plan to participate in festivals here in Romagna). I have received many messages on social media with wishes for a speedy recovery. I feel lucky and I think I can say that my intervention was a marriage between tradition, represented by me, and the future, in the guise of a robot led by the excellent doctors of Maria Cecilia Hospital “.
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