Robotic surgery stenting speeds recovery

RICHMOND, Va., Nov 16, 2005 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Richmond, Va., surgeons say robotically assisted heart surgery with stented angioplasty is a promising procedure for severe coronary artery disease.

"The minimally invasive procedure effectively bypassed or opened blocked arteries in all 27 patients, an outcome as good or better than you would expect with open chest surgery," said Dr. Marc Katz, lead author of the study and chief of cardiac surgery at the Virginia Transplant Center at Henrico Doctors' Hospital in Richmond.

"The patients stayed in the hospital an average of only two and a half days, compared with five or six days for conventional CABG surgery," Katz said, adding they returned to work within a week or so, compared with the usual six to 12 weeks.

The study involved patients with multi-vessel coronary disease, including obstruction of the left anterior descending coronary artery, the main artery in the front of the heart.

During the closed-chest bypass procedure, the left internal mammary artery was harvested and then sutured to the obstructed LAD, bypassing the obstruction. The entire procedure was done endoscopically.

The study was reported this week during the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2005, held in Dallas, Texas.

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