ZAP Surgical Systems, Inc., a global leader in non-invasive robotic brain surgery, today announced the first patient treatments using its ZAP-X® Gyroscopic Radiosurgery® platform in Latin America. Located in Neuland, Boquerón, Paraguay, Radioterapia Concordia has officially commenced clinical use, marking a major milestone in the decentralization of state-of-the-art brain tumor care across the region.
In its first day of operation, four patients received next-generation stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) with ZAP-X® for a range of intracranial conditions, including meningioma, acoustic neuroma, trigeminal neuralgia, and arteriovenous malformation (AVM).
Historically, patients in the central regions of Latin America have had limited or no access to modern SRS, often requiring travel to large metropolitan hubs like Buenos Aires, São Paulo, or Santiago. Radioterapia Concordia now offers these advanced treatments locally, helping bridge a longstanding healthcare gap for rural communities.
“People in rural areas deserve to receive world-class medical care where they live, from people they understand, and at a fair price,” said Prof. Dr. Peter Douglas Klassen, Founder of Saludconcordia SA. “With ZAP-X, we are bringing the most advanced SRS capabilities to communities that have long been underserved.”
The creation of Radioterapia Concordia is further bolstered by its strategic location along the Bi-Oceanic Corridor—a transformative infrastructure project linking Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Chile to improve regional access and trade. The new cancer center also benefits from its collaborative relationship with ZAP-X Zentrum Lingen in Germany, home to Europe’s first ZAP-X system.
“This is more than just a technology deployment—it’s a movement toward cooperative medicine,” said MBA MSc Edelgard Loewen, Case Manager at ZAP-X Zentrum Lingen. “We’re witnessing a new model emerge in Latin America—one that rises above the limitations of national and purely private healthcare systems to prioritize patients through altruistic, turnkey cancer care.”
As an alternative to open brain surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery is a non-invasive, outpatient procedure used to treat many primary and metastatic brain tumors, as well as other disorders of the head and neck. Unlike traditional surgery however, SRS does not require incisions or anesthesia, and patients often return to normal activities the same day.
The ZAP-X system is renowned for its unique gyroscopic design, which enables the delivery of radiosurgical beams from thousands of unique angles. This approach enhances the ability to concentrate radiation precisely on the tumor while minimizing dose to surrounding healthy brain tissue—an important factor in preserving cognitive function.
ZAP-X is also the first and only vault-free SRS system, removing the need for costly shielded treatment rooms. Additionally, by utilizing a modern linear accelerator, ZAP-X eliminates the use of Cobalt-60, avoiding the exorbitant costs and regulatory burdens tied to radioactive isotopes.