Cardiac Services

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery

Minimally invasive (keyhole) surgical procedures have been effective in repairing heart valves, congenital heart defects and certain coronary disorders.

Endovascular surgery is a relatively new technique that uses minimally invasive procedures to correct problems in blood vessels from within the vessels themselves (the standard surgical treatment for thoracic aneurysms is open-chest repair).

Endovascular surgery can be used to treat a thoracic aneurysm without opening the chest. Endovascular stenting has many benefits open surgery does not, including a smaller scar, less pain and a quicker recovery. This procedure is often used in patients whose overall health makes open surgery too dangerous.

With the use of a catheter, a stent graft is inserted into a small artery through a tiny incision in the groin. Using x-ray, the surgeon then guides the stent graft to the damaged area of the aorta. The stent graft is then expanded, providing a reinforced channel for the blood to flow and thereby reducing the pressure in the damaged area of the artery, which prevents rupture.

Robotic Surgery

The Miriam Hospital has the only robotic surgical system in the state. Our robot (known as the da Vinci® Surgical System) allows physicians to perform certain cardiac procedures from a surgical console, which allows visualization of the surgical field with high-resolution cameras in exquisite 3-dimensional detail. The surgeon’s movements are seamlessly translated to four robot arms that rotate 360 degrees and offer unparalleled precision, dexterity and control. We plan to offer this approach to certain patients requiring coronary bypass
and mitral valve repair.

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