Robotic Heart Surgery Information

What is Robotic Heart Surgery?
The trend in cardiac surgery is to minimize surgical trauma while reducing the incidence of perioperative morbidity. The goal is to return patients to functional levels as quickly as possible after surgery. Minimally invasive techniques have been introduced to fulfill such expectations. In coronary artery surgery, the use of smaller surgical incisions is becoming standard practice. Advancements in surgical instrumentation have increased interest in endoscopic cardiac surgery, via "key hole" incisions. Despite some technical challenges, the development of precise and intelligent robotic-enhanced instruments has reached the point where it has become possible to do cardiac surgery through "key hole" incisions that can potentially return patients to functional activity within a week after surgery.

This section, devoted to robotic heart surgery has several aims. One of those is to introduce patients and surgeons to the latest developments in robotic surgery as it relates to the heart. Another goal is to develop a forum where those working with robotics can interact and share their knowledge. Robotic heart surgery is reaching its "tipping point."