Robotically Assisted Heart Surgery
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About the Robot
The robot is called the da Vinci Surgical System. It is the industry leader in operative robotic surgery and the first system approved by the FDA to perform surgery. It is used in general, urologic and gynecologic surgery; most recently, it was approved for use in heart procedures. MeritCare is one of 68 medical centers across the country using the da Vinci system.
In the next few months, the FDA will likely approve robotically assisted surgery for repairing and replacing heart valves. "This is the very beginning of a new frontier," says Dr. Newman. "We're limited in what we can do right now because the FDA has not yet approved many applications, but that will come, and when it does we'll be ready. The FDA wants this technology to be successful, and so do we." In the next year, MeritCare hopes to qualify as a clinical trial center for total endoscopic cononary artery bypass - minimally invasive heart surgery. "This is our ultimate goal," says Dr. Newman. "This is how we're going to tremendously reduce patient recovery time."
Developed by Intuitive Surgical of California, the da Vinci robot has two major components. One is the surgeon's viewing and control console and monitor, which is situated a few feet from the patient, but theoretically could be miles away. The console provides the surgeon with a sharp, three-dimensional view inside the body - sharper and more magnified than it could ever be with the special magnifying glasses worn by surgeons today. At the other end of the spectrum, three robotic arms - one equipped with a tiny camera and the other two equipped with small surgical instruments - carry out the procedure through the small incisions in the patient's chest. Sitting at the console, the surgeon guides the surgical instruments through a set of fingertip controls.