Delray Beach, Fla. (November 16, 2016) – Delray Medical Center is the first and only hospital in Palm Beach County to acquire the Magellan™ Robotic System, which enables physicians to perform complex, yet minimally invasive, endovascular procedures with extraordinary accuracy. Dr. Joseph Ricotta, vascular surgeon, was the first surgeon in the southeastern U.S. to utilize the MagellanTM robot.

The new physician-controlled Magellan Robotic System, manufactured by Hansen Medical, Inc., is a minimally invasive approach that allows physicians to control and manipulate wires and catheters that are inserted through a small puncture in the groin from a remote workstation. It is proven to provide safe navigation through small vessels, allow targeted treatments, reduce radiation exposure and produce superior patient outcomes. The sophisticated intravascular robotic platform integrates levels of 3D catheter control with 3D visualization, a combination that provides accuracy and stability to the physician.

“This new system provides a great service to the South Florida community as it gives patients access to state-of-the-art treatment and robotic procedural precision,” said Dr. Ricotta, Regional Medical Director for Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy of the Tenet Florida Heart and Vascular Network. “The goal is to simplify complex procedures, allowing us to treat certain patients with all types of vascular disease who previously required open surgical treatment or could not be treated at all. The robot also reduces radiation exposure for both patients and physicians.”

The MagellanTM offers treatment for peripheral vascular disease, which affects more than 27 million patients worldwide. Patients with this condition can suffer from decreased blood flow, which can lead to disability and amputation, stroke or blood clots and even death. The rates of diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis and obesity are also on the rise worldwide and are contributors to the growth rate of vascular disease in an aging population.

“We are proud to be the first in the county to implement this groundbreaking technology and expand our range of robotic services,” said Mark Bryan, hospital CEO. “It is our goal to remain a leader in cardiovascular care and research in our community.”

Delray Medical Center is also the first hospital from Miami to West Palm Beach to commercially utilize the Abbott Absorb bioresorbable vascular scaffold in the treatment of coronary artery disease. The hospital offers a wide range of resources to treat routine and complex cardiovascular cases. Delray Medical Center is equipped with the technology and experts to treat patients with the utmost quality care from diagnosis to surgery to rehabilitation. For more information about the hospital’s heart & vascular services, please visit delraymedicalctr.com/our-services/heart-vascular.