Robotically Assisted Heart Surgery
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About the Procedure
Approximately 375,000 bypass surgeries are performed each year in the United States. At MeritCare, heart surgeons last year performed over 600 heart surgeries. Currently, patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery receive a 6-to-8 inch incision to open their chest cavity. In the not-too-distant future, bypass surgery will require only three half-inch incisions made between the ribs. Through these incisions, three thin robotic arms will gain access to the heart, allowing the surgeon to perform surgery without opening the chest. For patients, it can translate to a faster, easier recovery with decreased chance of infection.