How robotics are helping to treat a common heart problem

Heart valves act like one-way doors, helping blood move through the heart and out to the rest of the body. When one of those valves doesn’t work properly, the heart must work harder to pump blood efficiently, increasing the risk of serious complications such as heart failure, stroke and death.

One common valve problem is mitral valve regurgitation, which occurs when the heart’s mitral valve doesn’t close completely. As a result, blood leaks backward instead of moving forward through the body. Mild cases may only require monitoring, but more severe cases often need surgery to repair the valve and restore normal blood flow.

How robotic surgery is changing heart surgery

For years, physicians at Aurora Health Care have treated mitral valve regurgitation using minimally invasive surgery. Now, thanks to advances in cardiac robotics, patients may benefit from even smaller incisions, faster recovery and highly precise repairs.

“We are thrilled to bring the robotic platform to cardiac surgery for the treatment of mitral valve regurgitation,” says Dr. Scott Johnson, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Aurora Medical Center Grafton. “This is huge advancement in mitral care that is improving quality of life for many patients.” 

Dr. Scott Johnson is the only surgeon in the region currently performing the procedure.

As the only surgeon in the region currently performing the procedure, Dr. Johnson directs robotic surgical tools and a camera to repair the mitral valve. 

“The instruments provide a level of visualization of the heart that simply isn’t possible without the platform, and the tools have a far greater range of motion than a human hand,” he explains. “The technology makes the entire procedure exceptionally precise.” 

Benefits of robotic heart surgery

There are many benefits to incorporating robotics into the field of cardiology, including smaller incisions, less post-operative activity restrictions and significantly shorter recovery time both in the hospital and at home as compared to traditional open-heart surgery. 

“Patients also experience a higher probability of durable mitral repair, which is important in long-term success,” Dr. Johnson says. “Additionally, more patients are eligible for this procedure compared to traditional methods of repair, and outcomes are very good.” 

Aurora Grafton is among a select number of hospitals in the Midwest offering robotic mitral valve repair. Learn more about Aurora’s heart value surgery options or take our free quiz to learn your risk for heart disease.