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Which heart operations can be performed with robotic instruments?

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In the field of cardiothoracic surgery, robotic instrumentation is primarily employed for three specific types of heart operations:

  • Endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting: A procedure used to improve blood flow to the heart by bypassing blocked arteries.1
  • Mitral valve repair: A surgery performed to fix a leaking or damaged mitral valve.1
  • Atrial septal defect repair: A procedure to close a hole in the wall (septum) between the heart's upper chambers.1

These applications allow surgeons to perform complex procedures through minimally invasive incisions, which can help reduce patient recovery time and hospital stays. Additionally, historical developments in the field included early applications such as laparoscopic cardiac revascularization in closed-chest beating-heart operations.1