Robot Assisted Heart Surgery
Robot Assisted Heart Surgery is Happening NOW!
robot assisted heart surgery is happening in hospitals across the world. Today people are enjoying the benefits of robotics. In fact, more and more people are opting for this form of operation because of the speed, convenience, and decreased risk it brings to medical patients. But what is robot surgery exactly, and what benefits does it offer? Here are the things that you need to know:
Robot assisted heart surgery is also known as closed-chest heart surgery. It is one of the many types of minimally invasive heart surgery usually performed by a cardiac surgeon. The cardiac surgeon takes advantage of a specially designed computer console that functions as the brain of the surgical instruments through thin robotic arms.
Indeed, robot-assisted surgery has revolutionized the way we take a look at operations today. This technology helps cardiac surgeons to operate on patients suffering from complex heart ailments using smaller incisions and specific motion control, thus offering patients excellent results.
What are the benefits? Compared to traditional surgery, the benefits are various and abundant, and they include:
• Small incisions
• Minimal, less noticeable scars
• Shorter hospital stays (3 to 5 days)
• Low risk of bleeding or blood transfusion
• Low risk of infection
•
Short recovery and speed in returning to your day to day routine or
work.
The patient can immediately go back to his work the moment he feels like it. In fact, any patient has little to no limitations once he / she opts for robotically assisted surgery.
How Surgeries are Performed with a Surgical Robot
Robot assisted surgery aims to boost visualization, dexterity, precision and control that any surgeon needs to succeed in carrying out cardiac procedures by using one to two centimeter incisions. When there is an operation, the surgeon will man everything at a console in the surgical suite. He will monitor the progress through video screens and from this, he will direct the robotic arms in performing the surgery. Using state of the art facilities, robot-assisted surgery becomes a seamless and easy process, translates the surgeon’s natural hand, wrist and finger movements from controls at the console to the surgical instruments inside the patient.
Robotic heart surgery is possible even without the need to separate the breastbone (sternum) and ribcage. Through the procedure, small keyhole incisions, usually one to two centimeters long are made on the chest, between the ribs, allowing for the surgical equipment and a tiny camera, called an endoscope, to reach the heart. Compared to traditional open-heart surgery, a robotic-assisted procedure can be performed even if the heart is still beating. It also does not require the need for a heart-lung machine.