Surgeons use robots during heart surgery

BOSTON, April 9 (UPI) -- Some U.S. surgeons say they've started using robots to assist them in heart bypass surgery, producing smaller incisions, less pain and fewer complications.

Boston Medical Center Dr. Robert Poston said his facility is one of only nine U.S. hospitals to offer robot-assisted coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG, surgery.

CABG involves removing or re-directing a blood vessel from one part of the body, placing it around an obstructed artery, thereby restoring blood flow to the heart.

The robot-assisted procedure allows surgeons to gain access to the heart with several small incisions, unlike conventional bypass surgery that requires the chest to be opened with a 6-10 inch incision.

Using the small incisions between the ribs, the robot's arms and a small camera are placed inside the patient's chest, providing a three-dimensional, 10-times-magnified image, Poston said.

The robotic instruments mimic the movements of the surgeon's hands and wrist, providing flexibility and precise motion control during the procedure.

In addition to smaller scars, fewer side effects and complications, less pain and a reduced risk of infection, Poston said there is also the benefit of a faster recovery.