In a robotic cardiovascular surgery; most likely cardiac surgeon’s specialization will be in treatment of heart valve disorders, atrial fibrillation coronary artery disease, and other cardiac diseases. Advantages of robotic cardiovascular surgery are less invasive methods to reduce pain, disability, and recovery time. Some robotic heart surgeries are performed without use of heart-lung bypass machine, hence minimizing risk of stroke and other neurological complications. Few medical robotic cardiovascular surgeries are reviewed.

Although having steep learning curves and added cost involved for mitral valve repair for robotic surgery and fact is that common heart operations are performed using robot aided surgery. The robotic process for mitral valve surgery took 224 minutes. Robotic method for mitral valve surgery had similar outcomes comparatively with conventional approach except that there were half number of onward discharges to further care 7% to 15% and one day less spent in hospital. Since all the cases were reviewed after surgery had taken place, findings cannot establish cause and caution. Advantages and disadvantages to each of the techniques resulted to authors to conclude: “From a patient perceptive, all techniques provide better outcomes, hence patient preference and surgeon experience should dictate the method for mitral valve surgery” [1-2]. 

This study depicts patients with multi-vessel coronary disease including obstruction of the left anterior descending coronary artery, the main artery in front of the heart. Robotic surgery encompasses making three small incisions, each about 1 cm (1/2 inch) long in the left side of the patient’s chest. To view a 3- dimensional scope with 10x magnification was included in the middle port with robotic right and left arms in other ports. The mechanical system has a powerful computer interface that allows surgeons to sit at the console with full vision of the operative field. Surgeon’s as usual surgical hand movements are rendered through the tiny robotic arms inside the patient. Robotic arms with identical instruments at their tips, precisely follow surgeon’s hand movements [3-4].

Figures 1a): Left ventricle chamber measurement in the parasternal long-axis view [3].

Figures 1c): Tricuspid regurgitant jet evident on color Doppler imaging [3].

Figures 1d): Peak velocity of the tricuspid regurgitant jet (used to estimate pulmonary artery systolic pressure) – this is unable to be adequately detected in approximately 30% of patients undergoing echocardiography [3].

Figures 2: Illustrates Soft Robotic Heart Graphs [6].