What are Robot-Assisted Cardiac Procedures?

• Robot-Assisted Surgery—Overview

• Laparoscopic Procedures

• Thoracic Procedures

• Urologic Procedures

Robot-assisted cardiac procedures are done to treat a variety of conditions:

• 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...

Possible Complications

Complications are rare, but no procedure is completely free of risk. If you are planning to have a robot-assisted cardiac procedure, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:

• Damage to neighboring organs or structures in the chest
• Infection
• Bleeding
• Blood clots
• Anesthesia-related problems
• Death

Some factors that may increase the risk of complications include:

• Prior heart attack or heart surgery
• Advanced age
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Uncontrolled thyroid disease

Be sure to discuss these risks with your doctor before the surgery.

Call Your Doctor

After you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:

• Signs of...