How is robotic heart mitral valve repair different from traditional surgery?
• Three tiny incisions (holes or “ports”) are made in between the ribs • The robotic arms and a tiny camera are placed through the ports • Motion sensors are attached to the robotic “wrists” so the surgeon can control the movement • Instruments are placed in the robotic arms • The surgeon sits at a computer and looks through two lenses, one for each eye, connected to two cameras inside the patient. The surgeon has a three-dimensional and magnified view inside the patient’s body. The surgeon uses pedals to control the cameras and the surgical view • The surgeon’s hands are used to control the tiny instruments inside the patient.
