The Role of Robotics in Cardiac Surgery: A Look at Apollo Hospitals’ Expertise

The Role of Robotics in Cardiac Surgery: A Look at Apollo Hospitals’ Expertise

In their latest addition to the range of the most advanced, innovative surgical care approaches for addressing complex cardiac issues, Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore, have brought in and mastered the art of Robot-Assisted cardiac surgery, having performed over 10,000 such therapies and counting. Robot-Assisted surgery, or simply robotic surgery, is sending out waves in medical care technologies, allowing surgeons to operate upon patients with utmost precision and accuracy along with greater flexibility and control than what is possible with traditional surgical techniques.

Robotic surgery is often associated with minimally invasive techniques that involve making minimal incisions to perform various complex surgeries. Sometimes, it can also be used alongside traditional open surgical procedures.

What is Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery?

Robot-assisted cardiac surgery uses the latest technology to perform intricate and complex surgeries for heart conditions through tiny incisions and precise movements. This is made possible through robotic arms that carry surgical instruments and are controlled by a surgeon over a computer. The surgeon can direct the robotic arms to move according to instructions. With robotic arms, smaller and more precise incisions are possible, which provides a massive advantage over traditional techniques.

At Apollo Hospitals, our surgeons can make incisions of less than a finger’s breadth (about 8 mm) using our cutting-edge technology for robot-assisted cardiac surgery. With such a minimal incision, the risk of complications is reduced drastically. Surgeons obtain 3D amplified images with robotic assistance, which helps them perform the surgery with utmost precision and minimal complications.

With the help of robot-assisted surgery, a variety of conditions related to the heart can be treated, including valve surgery, coronary artery bypass, cardiac tissue ablation, heart defect repair, and tumor removal. At Apollo Hospitals, robot-assisted cardiac surgery, including CABG, valve replacement surgeries, and congenital heart surgeries, are routinely performed, putting our patients on a path to faster recovery.

Areas of Care Under Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery at Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore

The form of Robot-Assisted cardiac surgery required depends strictly on evaluations performed by our cardiac specialists, taking into account various factors, such as age, cardiac illness, symptoms to be addressed, and individual treatment goals. Based on these assessments, our cardiac surgeons can perform:

• Angioplasty or stenting (interventional cardiology)
• Conventional open chest surgical procedure, including cutting chest bone and utilization of heart-lung machine
• Conventional beating heart surgical procedure, including cutting chest bone and operation without the utilization of a heart-lung machine
• Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery – MICS which involves making 3-4 inches of incision to access the heart
• Robot-assisted cardiac surgery allows access to the heart through a minuscule 8mm entry point between the ribs

How is Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery Better than Traditional Surgery?

The most crucial benefit of Robot-Assisted cardiac surgery is that it is minimally invasive compared to open heart surgery. There are several benefits to robot-assisted surgery procedures compared to traditional techniques, including:

• Surgeons performing robot-assisted cardiac surgery find that this procedure offers greater flexibility, precision, and control during the surgery.
• Employing robot-assisted cardiac surgery also allows surgeons to view the structures better than traditional techniques. This allows surgeons to perform delicate and complex procedures that may be difficult or impossible with other methods.
• Making smaller incisions than traditional techniques allows quicker healing of wounds.
• Additionally, minimal incisions lead to fewer risks of complications than conventional methods. This includes fewer chances of infections at the site of surgery.
• Due to the minimally invasive nature of the surgery, there is less pain during and after the surgery. Any painful symptoms felt during post-surgical recovery can be managed well with medications.
• With incisions as minute as 8 mm, there is virtually no blood loss. Therefore, robot-assisted cardiac surgery patients may not require a blood transfusion during their post-surgical recovery.
• Due to minimal invasion, there is almost no scarring, which allows for faster wound healing.
• A shorter hospital stay is another one of the prominent benefits of undergoing Robot-Assisted cardiac surgery. In the majority of cases, patients can be discharged on the same day of their surgery.
• Patients undergoing Robot-Assisted cardiac surgery can return to their normal life activities quicker than what would have been possible with traditional open heart surgery.

What is Recovery after Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery Like?

At Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore, our dedicated patient care team ensures comprehensive management of post-surgical discomfort or complications, if any. We support our patients throughout their recovery phase and closely monitor their health at every step of their hospital stay. Our medical professionals are there to aid our patients with the necessary information and educate them to enable them to take care of themselves on their own.

Undergoing robot-assisted cardiac surgery allows patients to return to their normal daily activities almost immediately after discharge. However, they may be provided with specific recommendations for the activity. Follow-up visits to the cardiac specialists may be necessary and recommended by them so that our patients can be monitored through regular check-ups and manage any problems that may arise.

Although complications after a Robot-Assisted cardiac surgery are rare, but not impossible. Patients should be aware of the possible complications and individual risks, and follow the specific guidelines provided by their cardiac care specialist and team.

Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery at Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore

The Apollo Institute of Robotic Surgery is a trailblazer in robot-assisted surgery in India. We offer clinically advanced technology and medically established procedures assisted by state-of-the-art equipment, which enables us to provide customized and patient-centric healthcare to our patients with huge success. We have made significant strides in delivering cutting-edge services in robotic technology with the da Vinci® surgical system, the most advanced platform for minimally invasive surgery available today.

The daVinci® surgical system is a four-armed surgical robotic system that has made a breakthrough in surgical technology in India by providing minimally invasive, state-of-the-art surgical intervention for a wide range of specialties and subspecialties, including Cardiac interventions. With the surgical and technical support system available full-time to deliver treatments using the daVince® system, we stand our ground in our commitment to providing exceptional quality treatment and healthcare to people from all walks of life.

Having delivered over 10,000 successful Robot-Assisted cardiac surgery outcomes, Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore, is a trailblazer in providing the best healthcare and treatment for a broad spectrum of cardiac conditions with the apex level of expertise and compassion. Our highly experienced and well-trained team of surgeons is expertly skilled in robot-assisted surgeries with great precision and expertise, while also providing their expertise to tackle all kinds of emergencies, complexities, and complications in case they arise.