Robot-Assisted Cardiac Procedures
Robot-Assisted Cardiac Procedures
Definition
Reasons for Procedure
-
Robot-assisted
mitral valve repair
may be used to treat:
- Stenosis (narrowing) of the mitral valve
- Regurgitation (leakage) of the mitral valve
-
Robot-assisted
coronary artery bypass grafting
(CABG)
may be used to treat:
- Blockages in the heart’s arteries
- Severe chest pain ( angina ) that has not improved with medicines
- Robot-assisted atrial septal defect repair may be used to treat a hole between the upper chambers of the heart that does not close properly during fetal development.
- Robot-assisted biventricular pacemaker lead placement may be used to treat heart failure due to atrial fibrillation (irregular heart rhythm in the upper chambers of the heart).
| Pacemaker Placement |
 |
| Pacemaker leads implanted in heart to maintain normal rhythm. |
| Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc. |
- Increased range of motion with the robotic arms
- Ability to filter out human hand tremor and translate the doctor’s larger hand movements into smaller ones
- Reduced trauma to the body
- Shorter hospital stay
- Faster recovery
Possible Complications
- Damage to neighboring organs or structures in the chest
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Blood clots
- Anesthesia-related problems
- Death
- Prior heart attack or heart surgery
- Advanced age
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol intake
- Uncontrolled thyroid disease
What to Expect
Prior to Procedure
- Physical exam
- Blood and urine tests
- Electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG) —a test that records the electrical currents passing through the heart muscle
- Coronary angiogram —a test to determine the extent and location of blockages of blood vessels supplying the heart muscle
- Chest x-ray —a test that uses radiation to take a picture of structures inside the chest
- Ultrasound —a test that uses sound waves to visualize structures inside the chest
- CT scan —a type of x-ray that uses a computer to create images of structures inside the chest
- MRI scan —a test that uses magnetic waves to make pictures of structures inside the chest
-
Talk to your doctor about your medicines. You may be asked to stop taking some medicines up to one week before the procedure, such as:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs (eg, aspirin )
- Blood thinners, like clopidogrel (Plavix) or warfarin (Coumadin)
- Take antibiotics if instructed.
- Follow a special diet if instructed.
- Shower the night before using antibacterial soap if instructed.
- Arrange for someone to drive you home from the hospital. Also, have someone to help you at home.
- Eat a light meal the night before. Do not eat or drink anything after midnight.
Anesthesia
- General anesthesia —blocks pain and keeps you asleep through the surgery
- Local anesthesia with sedation—just the area that is being operated on is numbed, given as an injection
Description of the Procedure
- Forceps
- Scissors
- Dissectors
- Scalpels
Immediately After Procedure
- Moved to the intensive care unit (ICU)
- Closely monitored
- Encouraged to sit up and move around soon after surgery
How Long Will It Take?
How Much Will It Hurt?
Average Hospital Stay
Post-procedure Care
- Follow your doctor's guidelines on taking medicine. You may need to take antibiotics.
- Do deep breathing and coughing exercises.
- Follow a special diet.
- Wash the incisions with mild soap and water.
- Ask your doctor about when it is safe to shower, bathe, or soak in water.
- Limit certain activities (eg, driving, strenuous activity).
- Enroll in a cardiac rehabilitation program.
- Be sure to follow your doctor's instructions.
Call Your Doctor
- Signs of infection, including fever and chills
- Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from an incision site
- Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain
- Difficulty urinating, such as pain, burning, urgency, frequency, or bleeding
- Severe nausea or vomiting
- Rapid weight gain
- Pain and/or swelling in your feet, calves, or legs
- Headache, feeling faint or dizzy
- Other worrisome symptoms
RESOURCES
American Heart Association http://www.americanheart.org/
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
CANADIAN RESOURCES
Canadian Cardiovascular Society http://www.ccs.ca/
Health Canada http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index%5Fe.html/
References
About minimally invasive and robotic cardiac surgery. Columbia University Medical Center, Department of Surgery website. Available at: http://www.columbiasurgery.org/pat/mirobotic/procedures.html . Accessed September 14, 2009.
Atrial septic defect repair. Inova Health System website. Available at: http://www.inova.org/healthcare-services/pediatrics/types-of-services/pediatric-cardiovascular-program/procedures/atrial-septic-defect-repair.jsp. Accessed July 27, 2006.
Cardiac applications. Intuitive Surgical website. Available at: http://www.intuitivesurgical.com/patientresources/conditions/cardiac/index.aspx. Accessed September 14, 2009.
Computer-assisted surgery: an update. Food and Drug Administration website. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2005/405%5Fcomputer.html. Accessed June 20, 2006.
Mitral valve repair. Society of Thoracic Surgeons website. Available at: http://www.sts.org/sections/patientinformation/valvesurgery/mitralvalverepair/ . Accessed July 27, 2006.
Robot-assisted heart surgery: what you need to know. Cleveland Clinic website. Available at: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/services/surgery/robotically-assisted-heart-surgery.aspx. Accessed July 27, 2006.
Robots lend a helping hand to surgeons. Food and Drug Administration website. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/FDAC/features/2002/302%5Fbots.html. Accessed June 20, 2006.
