Robotic cardiac surgery: Next-gen treatment

When it comes to cardiac surgery, the first thoughts that come up are the big incision, the ribcage cut, the patient being bedridden and whether they will ever be able to work normally again. Cardiac surgery has been one of the last ones to embrace the principle of minimal invasiveness among all surgical specialties. Its complexity was the primary reason behind it.

Fact: Cardiac surgery, whether conventional, minimally invasive or robotically assisted, is as safe as any other surgery. The risk of the disease with continuous invasive monitoring of your blood pressure, cardiac output and blood gas analysis — all devils are monitored to be controlled appropriately and necessary actions can be taken.

Are all patients fit for minimally invasive cardiac surgery?

No. We have specific guidelines that assist us in carefully selecting patients for this approach. Key factors in the decision mainly are patient habitus, other comorbidities, complexity of the disease and nature of surgical procedure and heart functioning.

What is the scope of such surgical procedures?

We regularly perform such surgeries with minimal invasiveness or with robotically assisted technique such as coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), valve replacement and repairs,

congenital heart hole surgeries, epicedial lead placement in patients who have compromised heart function, tumours of heart or in certain arrhythmia surgeries.

Does the robot operate?

No. It’s always robotically assisted cardiac surgery. It’s the surgeon on the console who actually completes the procedure with the help of the extended robotic arms.

Advantages of minimally invasive robotically assisted surgery are decreased blood loss, early recovery and

discharge from hospital, less pain and cosmetic reasons. The risk of surgical procedures are minimal after the process of careful selection to operate robotically or minimally invasive as compared to conventional surgery on the patients. In the end the safety of the patient is the utmost goal.

The author of this article is Dr Udgeath Dhir.

Disclaimer: The veracity of any health claim made in the above article is the responsibility of the concerned doctor/hospital.

PHOTOS: HTCS Dr Udgeath Dhir, director and head, Cardiac Surgery, Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI), Gurugram and Fortis Escorts Hospital, Faridabad

Robotic surgery equipment