Robotic heart transplant

[Mik]

..without cracking the chest. Amazing.

https://www.bcm.edu/news/robotic-heart-transplant-surgery-performed-at-baylor-st-lukes-medical-center

In a medical achievement, surgeons at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center in Houston performed the first fully robotic heart transplant on an adult patient in the United States. Led by Dr. Kenneth Liao, the procedure avoided opening the chest or cutting the breastbone, reducing surgical trauma and recovery time. The patient, a 45-year-old man with end-stage heart failure, was successfully discharged a month after surgery with no complications. This innovation, which minimizes bleeding and infection risks, positions Baylor at the forefront of cardiothoracic care. The milestone reflects a major leap forward in minimally invasive heart surgery.

Source: Baylor College of Medicine

Image: Dr. Kenneth Liao can be seen using the surgical robot, the same device he used to perform the first successful, fully robotic heart transplant on an adult patient in the United States.

[jon-nyc]

Damn.

[taiwan_girl]

Amazing!!!

[Axtremus]

So ... they took the old heart out and put the replacement in through the diaphragm?

[Axtremus]

If they could this for whole-heart replacement, supposedly the approach is also feasible for partial transplants like a valve replacement or a valve repair.

[Mik]

They’ve been doing no crack valves for quite a while. I wonder if bypasses are feasible.