The Montreal Heart Institute has
acquired the first robot in Canada
exclusively dedicated to assisting
surgeons in cardiac surgery
The Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) has acquired the first surgical robot in Canada exclusively dedicated to assisting surgeons in performing cardiac surgery.
The da Vinci Xi Surgical System, manufactured by Intuitive Surgical Inc., is a new generation surgical robot created to enhance minimally invasive surgeries in the treatment of patients undergoing mitral valve and coronary artery bypass cardiac surgery, providing them with a better quality of life and a quicker return to daily activities.
“The practice of cardiac surgery in Canada is mixed,” Dr. Michel Pellerin and Dr. Denis Bouchard, cardiac surgeons at MHI who performed the first robotic mitral intervention last April, told HCB News. “Half are done the old fashioned way through sternotomy, while the other half are less invasive with thoracoscopy. Only a few cases in a few centers have some robotic experience so far for mitral valve repair, but none with the Xi.”
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Compared to sternotomy and thoracoscopy, patients who undergo procedures using da Vinci Xi experience reduced blood loss, a decrease in pain and lung atelectasis following procedures, normal respiratory mechanics and faster recuperation of upper limb movements.
The system consists of a robot, a control console and an endoscopic vision cart for enabling 3-D visualization. The surgeon uses the console to direct the robot as a remote manipulator to perform procedures while relying on the endoscopic vision cart as a visual guide.
Pellerin and Bouchard say that while they do not see the system becoming a standard in cardiac surgery, it could be of great assistance to many facilities.
“Not a standard tool, but a developmental tool that can be applied with great benefit in high volume centers dedicated to the technique,” they said.
Robot-assisted surgery is an evolving practice in many fields of surgery.
NYU Lutheran Medical Center used a robotic procedure to remove a cancerous kidney from a patient in May.
The acquisition of the system was funded by donations from the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation.
