We hope you never experience heart attack, cardiac arrest or any other heart disease, but if you do and surgery is the only hope for survival there is a safe and minimally invasive surgical option for you- Robotic Heart Surgery.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), heart disease is the leading cause of death in many affluent countries, namely UK, USA, Canada, India and Australia. In its report, titled "Global atlas on cardiovascular disease prevention and control", the Geneva-based health agency has stated that cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes are the leading causes of global deaths.

The organisation estimates that approximately 17 million people die of some kind of heart disease every year, and nearly 23.6 million people will die from heart diseases by 2030.

The recent figures show that the incidence and prevalence of heart disease in the world have been increasing steadily.

Depending on the seriousness of your heart condition, your doctor may simply recommend lifestyle changes and medications to control the disease. But if these two aren't enough, it's possible your doctor will recommend surgery, medical device (stent) or any other specific procedure to treat more serious heart condition.

Conventionally, repair or replacement of heart valves is done using open-heart procedures that require a longer incision (ten to twelve-inch long) and sometimes require several months for recovery.

Innovation in Heart Surgery

Today, robotically assisted heart surgery has changed the way certain heart surgeries are being performed.

Robotic heart surgery, also called closed-chest heart surgery, is a type of minimally invasive heart surgery that allows cardiac surgeons to perform complex heart operations through a smaller opening. The surgery also helps decrease surgical stress and minimizes blood loss, as well as offers patients a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery.

In this technically advanced heart surgery, the cardiac surgeons use a specially designed surgical robotic system which consists three parts- a console, robotic arms and an instrument tower containing tiny camera.

While performing the surgery, the cardiac surgeon sits at the computer console to remotely control thin robotic arms outfitted with surgical equipment and a tiny camera (endoscope) through which the surgeons view a three-dimensional image of the area being operated on.

The robotic arms mimic the surgeon's hand, wrists, and finger movements as the surgeon controls them remotely from the system console.

Robotically Assisted Heart Surgery Procedures

The cardiac conditions that can be treated with the use of robotic assistance include:

• Endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
• Totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting (TECAB)
• Tricuspid valve repair and replacement
• Mitral valve repair or replacement
• Combined mitral and tricuspid valve surgery
• Atrial septal defect (ASD)
• Atrial myxoma and thrombi
• Patent foramen ovale (PFO) repair
• Removal of cardiac tumours
• Lead placement on the surface of the left ventricle during a biventricular pacemaker
• Ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation
• Cardiac and thoracic tumours
• Mediastinal mass excision
• Epicardial lead placement

Benefits of Robotic Heart Surgery

• Less post-operative pains
• Substantially smaller and less-traumatic incisions
• Less scarring
• Reduced trauma to the body
• Low risk of wound infection
• Eliminates the need for splitting the breastbone (sternum) and spreading the ribs
• Reduced blood loss and fewer transfusions
• Shorter hospital stays (3 to 5 days)
• Faster recovery and quicker return to daily activities and lifestyles

Although robotic heart surgery is considered safe and effective, but not all the patients are good candidates for this new form of surgery. So, it is vital to discuss with your cardiologist about all heart treatment options, as well as their risks, complications and benefits. Patients with chronic cardiac condition can undergo technically advanced Robotic Cardiac Surgery in India at cost-effective prices.