Surgeons in the United Stated have performed a fully robotic heart transplant on a person without the need for major surgery.
Chief of cardiothoracic transplantation and mechanical circulatory support at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, in Houston, Kenneth Liao and his team used a surgical robot to make small, precise incisions, eliminating the need to open the chest and break the breast bone.
Dr Liao said he then removed the diseased heart, and implanted the new heart through the preperitoneal space, avoiding chest incision.
“Opening the chest and spreading the breastbone can affect wound healing and delay rehabilitation and prolong the patient’s recovery, especially in heart transplant patients who take immunosuppressants,” he said.
“With the robotic approach, we preserve the integrity of the chest wall, which reduces the risk of infection and helps with early mobility, respiratory function and overall recovery.”
Dr Liao said in addition to less surgical trauma, the clinical benefits of robotic heart transplant surgery included avoiding excessive bleeding from cutting the bone and reducing the need for blood transfusions, which minimised the risk of developing antibodies against the transplanted heart.
He said before the transplant surgery, the 45-year-old patient had been hospitalized with advanced heart failure since November 2024 and required multiple mechanical devices to support his heart function.
“He received a heart transplant in early March and after heart transplant surgery, he spent a month in the hospital before being discharged home, without complications.”
