Robotic Cardiac Surgery: A Gamechanger in Cardiac Care

Newer medical technologies are constantly field of surgery. Dr. Mohammed Rehan Sayeed, Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals Greams Road, Chennai calls robotic cardiac surgery a gamechanger that uses a surgeon-controlled console and robotic arms to perform minimally invasive procedures with enhanced precision, dexterity, and visualization. "Robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) allows for smaller incisions, and hence lesser blood loss, reduced pain, smaller scars, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery," he says, "The average life expectancy of Indians has increased to 72years and we are seeing a lot of older people coming in for bypass surgery. For them, this is a blessing because healing is faster and they are able to return to a good quality of life much faster.

Eligibility

Patients belonging to all age groups. including those with obesity or other co-morbidities are all eligible for RAS. The only contraindication is if the patient has had a previous lung disease like tuberculosis that does not allow the surgeon to get into the chest with complete freedom. Moreover, surgeons can even perform a 4/5-vessel bypass comfortably through the same small incision.

Advantages of Robotic Cardiac Surgery

• Less bleeding
• Less pain
• Less chances of infection
• Less post-operative morbidity
• Lesser hospital-stay (less than 5 days compared to 9 days for traditional surgery)
• Faster recovery

The Surgery

Robotic cardiac surgery is a minimally invasive surgical technique done on a beating heart. Key features of robotic cardiac surgery include 3D high-definition vision and instruments which are controlled by the surgeon via a computer console. This minimally invasive technique enables very precise control of the surgical instruments over a wide range of motion through small cuts on the side of the chest. Controlled fracture induced during the conventional procedure is fixed back together with a wire and may take 12 weeks to heal and in the case of diabetics, much longer. Any strong movement of the chest cavity like a cough can result in breakage of the bone, which is a disadvantage of the old technique.

“In robotic cardiac surgery the surgeon controls the machine and uses its advanced imaging and precision to make the surgery easier for the patient. The outcomes of these surgeries in good, trained hands are the same as far as long-term survival is concerned. Modern technology is here to stay. It therefore makes sense to choose newer technologies like robotic surgery with confidence and benefit from the advantage of lesser pain, avoidance of a bigger incision and risk of infections”

Dr. Mohammed Rehan Sayeed, Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, Chennai.

Recovery

The patient is mobile by evening or the next day of the surgery and is usually discharged on Day 3. They are usually back to their normal functions by the 3rd week following surgery. Patients are placed on prophylactics like aspirin and statins post-surgery.

Cost

The differential cost between robotic and conventional cardiac surgery is about 20% but if you consider the time taken for rehabilitation after the latter, the cost-benefit ratio is far superior both for the hospital and patient in the case of robotic cardiac surgery.

Insurance Cover

Insurance companies have an unrealistic limit for 'modern' surgery such as robotic surgery. Advanced countries do not have caveats and offer full cover after the copay amount is made.

The insurance sector needs to wake up and understand today it is not about providing for conventional technology. The standard of care has changed remarkably and data clearly show that newer technologies are in the best interest of their clients. Not offering complete cover for newer technologies that immensely benefit the patients is unfair.

Featuring insights from Dr. Mohammed Rehan Sayeed, Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals, Greams Lane, Chennai

📞 For appointments, call Apollo Hospitals Chennai at 044 4040 1066