Strong Heart and Vascular Center
Division of Cardiac Surgery
Robotic Surgery Technology Used For Cardiac Procedures
The Strong Heart and Vascular Center is now
using robotic surgery technology for various cardiac procedures.
Cardiac surgeons at the Strong Heart and Vascular Center are
the first in Upstate
New York to use robotic technology laparoscopically to
assist
in the operating room.
The daVinci Surgical System is used
for cardiac-related surgery, such as:
The leading-edge technology consists of a robotic arm that performs
surgeries using movements to replicate a surgeon’s motions.
The movements are controlled from across the room by a surgeon
using virtual images provided by laparoscopic cameras.
The benefits of the technology have a significant impact on
patients and their outcomes. Because the cases are done laparoscopically,
significantly smaller incisions are made that result in faster
recovery time and a lower chance of infection or other complications.
The procedures themselves can be even more accurate than traditional
surgery, with steadier “hands” at the surgical site
being directed by a surgeon.
“The option to perform mitral
valve and atrial septal defect cases using a less-invasive
method
has a significant impact on patient care,” says George
Hicks,
chair of the Division of Cardiac Surgery.
“Although
heart bypass operations are not yet approved using this technology,
we expect to receive the FDA’s go-ahead within the next
year. We will then have the ability to do a number of our present
cardiac cases robotically, which will substantially benefit
our patients during and after surgery.”
How It Works
The daVinci Surgical System has been incorporated
into the new operating room facilities at Strong Memorial Hospital.
Patients are
positioned as they would be during traditional surgery,
with medical personnel surrounding them, yet a surgeon is
located
at a console a few feet away.
Although the surgeon is not physically in contact with the patient,
the daVinci control console allows the surgeon to actually see
the surgical field in enhanced detail as a result of the three-dimensional
image transmitted from the laparoscopic cameras. The surgeon
manipulates the robotic “hands” in real-time using
master controls, seeing minute, 3-D details inside the patient
with the aid of the cameras located inside the patient.
Two robotic arms and one laparoscopic arm execute the surgeon’s
commands. Supporting surgical team members install the correct
instruments, prepare 1-centimeter incisions in the patient, and
supervise the laparoscopic arms and tools being used. The instruments
are designed with seven degrees of motion that mimic the dexterity
of the human wrist. Each instrument has a specific surgical mission
such as clamping, suturing and tissue manipulation.
Revolutionizing Surgery
The technology allows surgeons to view the surgical site in a
way they haven’t been able to in the past.
The addition of the daVinci Robotic System revolutionizes the
field of surgery, particularly cardiac cases, says heart surgeon
George Hicks.
Contact Us
For more information about cardiac-related robotic surgery or
to refer a patient for a consultation, call us at 585-275-5384.
