Stradiņa Hospital installs robotic system for treating heart arrhythmias

Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital has installed a robotic system for treating heart rhythm disorders, one of only about 20 of its kind worldwide, Latvian public broadcaster LSM reports.

The Stereotaxis Genesis magnetic navigation system is the only one in the Baltic states. Developed over 20 years and purchased for more than 3 million euros, it is designed to help doctors reach difficult-to-access parts of the heart with high precision, including in complex cases.

Stereotaxis chief executive David Fischel said the system allows doctors to move a catheter tip with sub-millimetre precision. He said the technology could also make treatment possible for patients who previously had no access to it.

Cardiologist Kaspars Kupics trained to use this type of technology in Belgium 10 years ago and took part in about 1,000 procedures over two years. He is now conducting his fifth operation in Latvia using the Genesis system. Kupics said wider use would depend in part on sufficient state funding, so hospitals could perform enough procedures to keep waiting times manageable.

Andrejs Ērglis, head of the Latvian Cardiology Centre, also cited a lack of funding as an obstacle, describing the waiting list as unacceptably long. He said the issue involved healthcare funding, appropriate payment rates and mandatory health insurance.