Robotic-Assisted Heart Surgery

It sounds a little like science fiction, but robotic surgery is an advanced technique that enables cardiac surgeons to conduct complex procedures with less trauma to patients.

Surgeons at the Pilla Heart Center are specially trained in robotic technology. Robotic-assisted heart surgery produces excellent results with less pain and blood loss, shorter hospital stays, and faster recoveries.

The Pilla Heart Center is one of only a few centers in the Delaware Valley to offer the daVinci® S Surgical System for cardiac surgery. This technology is the newest and most advanced robotic surgical assistant with FDA approval.

The robotic system gives the surgeon a three-dimensional view, similar to traditional surgery but with greater depth perception. Special robotic instruments offer a laparoscopic (minimally invasive) approach, with magnification that is 10 times greater than the human eye. Due to the system’s enhanced detail and precision, the cardiac surgeon is able to work through tiny incisions.

In a robotic-assisted heart procedure, the surgeon views an actual image of the surgical field while operating in real time, using special instruments. The system replicates the surgeon's movements.  It never makes any decisions on its own, or performs any maneuver outside of the surgeon's direct control.

Using a robotic system enables greater surgical precision, increased range of motion, improved dexterity, enhanced visualization, and improved access. Those surgical advantages provide patients with less trauma and a quicker return to daily activities.

For expertise on robotic-assisted heart surgery, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center and Cardiothoracic Surgery.