UPMC utilizing robotic heart surgery for faster recovery times, less scarring

PITTSBURGH — Heart surgery with less scarring and a faster recovery. UPMC is playing a huge role here and around the world when it comes to robotic heart surgery. In WPXI’s Your Heart Matters collaboration with UPMC, the experts said this type of surgery is getting better and better with new technology.

Dr. Johannes Bonatti is a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon and the director robotic cardiac surgery at UPMC. He’s an expert at valve surgery and coronary bypass surgery using a robot.

“We can place functioning bypass grafts the same way as in open surgery, maybe even with a higher level of precision because the robot has a 3D HD camera and up to 10 times magnification, which gives me a beautiful view of the structures and increases precision,” Dr. Bonatti said. “The benefit is earlier recovery because there’s less trauma and faster wound healing.”

That faster recovery is drastic. Recovery from traditional sugary takes up to 12 week. With the robot, only around four.

Dr. Bonatti explained how it works.

“So I’m holding the controls with my fingers and I operate them at a console and my movements are translated into very precise movements of the robotic instruments,” Dr. Bonatti said. “One carries the robotic camera, then I have two arms for my main instruments, an additional fourth arm for a holding device or something like that.”

Another benefit Dr. Bonatti added is that the robot is more steady than the human hand, and the visualization from the cameras give surgeons a much clearer view.

“Some people say you can do things, surgical maneuvers with the robot that go beyond the abilities of the human hand,” Dr. Bonatti added.

He estimates there are now as many as a dozen companies developing robots, and they keep getting better. The original version in the 1990′s had shorter arms and standard optics. Today’s has the multiple arms and better cameras.

“I think at UPMC, we can claim to be at the forefront of this type of surgery,” Dr. Bonatti said.

Robotic surgery actually takes longer than traditional surgery, but the faster recovery may make up for that.

Not everyone can have these procedures done using the robot. There are certain criteria, so it’s best to have a conversation with a doctor to see if you qualify.

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