Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND: Robotic technology has been proven safe and efficacious in the performance of mitral valve repair and atrial septal defect repair. This report describes a Food and Drug Administration-sanctioned multicenter study of the safety and efficacy of the da Vinci system (Intuitive Surgical, Inc, Mountain View, CA) for totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB) surgery. METHODS: Patients requiring left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery revascularization were eligible. The procedure was performed with femoro-femoral cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), endoaortic balloon occlusion, and thoracoscopy. All aspects of the procedure were performed with the robotic system, from internal mammary artery harvest to coronary anastomosis. RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients requiring single-vessel LAD revascularization were enrolled at 12 centers. Thirteen patients (13%) were excluded intraoperatively (eg, failed femoral cannulation, inadequate working space). In 85 patients (69 men, age 58 +/- 10 years) who underwent TECAB, CPB time was 117 +/- 44 minutes, cross-clamp time was 71 +/- 26 minutes, and hospital length of stay was 5.1 +/- 3.4 days. There were five (6%) conversions to open techniques. There were no deaths or strokes, one early reintervention, and one myocardial infarction (1.5%). Three-month angiography was performed in 76 patients, revealing significant anastomotic stenoses (> 50%) or occlusions in 6 patients. Overall freedom from reintervention or angiographic failure was 91%. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic TECAB was accomplished with no mortality, low morbidity, and angiographic patency and reintervention rates comparable with published data. Although the use of CPB was a limitation of the technique, this experience represents a step toward more advanced procedures, such as multivessel or off-pump TECAB

BACKGROUND: Minimimal access multivessel coronary artery bypass grafting with same day hospital discharge remains the ultimate goal. We evaluated the feasibility for achieving multivessel coronary bypass through minimal access. METHODS: From January to July 2003, 30 patients under went off-pump minimally invasive multivessel coronary bypass. Internal mammary arteries were harvested with robotic telemanipulation with three ports. A 2-inch to 3-inch incision with soft tissue retractor was used to perform coronary anastomosis. Robotic ports were used to introduce stabilization and cardiac positioning devices. Endoscopic harvesting of radial artery was done when necessary. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients (77%) had anterior throracotomy approach and 7 (23%) had transabdominal approach. Average number of bypass grafts was 2.6 (range 2-4). There was no mortality in hospital or on 30-day follow-up. Twenty-nine patients (97%) were extubated on the operating table. Two patients required reoperation for bleeding and 1 of those patients needed conversion to sternotomy for additional bypass grafting. Within 24 hours of surgery 50% of patients (n = 15) were discharged, 10% (n = 3) were discharged in 24 to 36 hours, 17% (n = 5) were discharged in 36 to 48 hours, 17% (n = 5) were discharged in 48 to 72 hours, and 2 patients stayed more than 3 days in the hospital. Two patients needed readmission to hospital within 30 days; 1 for pleural effusion and 1 for wound infection. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic harvesting of internal mammary arteries and port access stabilization and cardiac positioning allows multivessel coronary bypass to be performed through a small incision. Currently, the majority of the patients can be safely discharged within 36 hours of operation

OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate outcomes and predictors of emergency conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass during attempted off-pump coronary bypass surgery. METHODS: From January 1999 through July 2002, 1678 consecutive isolated coronary artery bypass operations were performed at Lenox Hill Hospital, with the intention to treat all patients with off-pump coronary bypass surgery. Fifty (2.97%) patients required urgent conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass. All the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables were collected and analyzed in accordance with the New York State Cardiac Surgery Reporting System. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine predictors for conversion. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality and major morbidity were significantly lower in the nonconverted group compared with the converted patients (mortality: 1.47% [n = 24] vs 12% [n = 6], P = .001; stroke: 1.1% [n = 18] vs 6% [n = 3], P = .02; renal failure: 1.23% [n = 20] vs 6% [n = 3], P = .02; deep sternal wound infection: 1.54% [n = 25] vs 8% [n = 4], P = .009; respiratory failure: 3.75% [n = 61] vs 28% [n = 14], P < .0001; nonconverted vs converted patients, respectively). The annual incidence of conversion decreased during the study period. There was a significant reduction in the incidence of conversion after routine use of a cardiac positioning device to performing lateral and inferior wall grafts (4.2% [n = 27] vs 2.3% [n = 23], P = .04). None of the preoperative variables were independent predictors of conversion on multivariate regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Because emergency conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass during attempted off-pump coronary bypass surgery results in significantly higher morbidity and mortality, studies comparing off-pump coronary bypass surgery with conventional coronary artery surgery should include converted patients in the off-pump group. In our experience, emergency conversion is an unpredictable event. The incidence of conversion decreases with increasing experience of surgeons in performing off-pump coronary surgery and use of a cardiac positioning device

The pulmonary veins have been demonstrated to play an important role in generating atrial fibrillation. We report the first successful endoscopic epicardial isolation of the pulmonary veins in a patient with permanent atrial fibrillation, along with a 1-year follow-up. The procedure consisted of making a conduction block around the pulmonary veins with a flexible microwave energy delivery probe. The probe was placed endoscopically on the left atrial epicardium with the aid of robotic instruments

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of endoscopic telemanipulated cardiac surgery and describe the anesthetic, postoperative, and surgical implications of minimally invasive robotic-assisted cardiac surgery. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Cardiovascular and transplant center, university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty patients (13 men, 7 women) scheduled for either coronary artery bypass graft surgery or valve surgery. Mean age was 53 +/- 5 years (range, 31 to 75 years) and mean New York Heart Association class was 2.4. Three patients (6 %) were having redo procedures, and 1 patient had bacterial endocarditis. INTERVENTIONS: Surgery was done with the aid of the daVinci surgical robot (Intuitive Surgical, Mountain View, CA). Induction and maintenance of anesthesia consisted of a target-controlled infusion of remifentanil and propofol. In 11 cases (55%), cardiopulmonary bypass was performed with Port-Access technology (Heartport, Redwood City, CA), and in the remaining 9 cases (45%), conventional femorofemoral bypass was used. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Fifteen patients (75 %) were extubated within 6 hours and discharged from the cardiac surgery intensive care unit on postoperative day 1. Two patients (10%) were reexplored in the immediate postoperative period. Two conversions to thoracotomy were reported. One reoperation at 6 months and 1 late death occurred. At 1-year follow-up, excellent functional results were observed in 18 cases. CONCLUSION: Caution should be used when assessing innovative medical-surgical techniques. Despite technical difficulties and lengthy procedures, results were satisfactory. The feasibility of robotic-assisted surgery for coronary artery bypass graft and valve procedures is intuitively appealing

BACKGROUND: With the expanded use of the radial artery as a bypass conduit in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, an endoscopic radial artery harvesting method was used to improve esthetics and patient acceptance, and possibly, to decrease hand neurologic complications. METHODS: After informed consent and confirmation of adequate ulnar collateral blood flow, 300 consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting had their nondominant radial artery endoscopically removed through a small 3-cm incision just proximal to the radial styloid prominence. Standard endoscopic vein equipment (30-degree 5-mm endoscope, subcutaneous retractor, and vessel dissector) with ultrasonic harmonic coagulating shears were used. After radial artery isolation, the radial artery was proximally clipped and transected 1 to 2 cm distal to the visualized ulnar artery origin to the inferior end of the wrist incision. RESULTS: The mean age was 62.2 years; 23% of the patients were women, 39% had diabetes mellitus, and 28% had peripheral vascular disease. All 300 endoscopic radial arteries were grossly acceptable and used for grafting. Early in the series, 29 patients (9.7%) required a second 3-cm incision proximally for vascular control. Only one wrist incision was required at the last 200 cases. The conduit length varied between 18 and 24 cm. Occurring early in the series, hospital complications were two tunnel hematomas requiring drainage and one brachial artery clipping repaired primarily without sequela. At 30 days postoperative follow-up, 5 patients (1.6%) had been treated with oral antibiotics for incisional cellulitis and 26 patients (8.7%) had objective dorsal thenar sensory numbness. No ischemic hand complication, perioperative myocardial infarction, reintervention in radial artery graft distribution, or numbness in the lateral forearm occurred. All patients expressed marked satisfaction with the small incision and cosmetic result. CONCLUSIONS: In our initial experience, endoscopic radial artery harvesting can be performed safely, with minor, infrequent complications. A full-length radial artery conduit can be obtained with improved esthetics and patient satisfaction and acceptance. Late dorsal thenar paresthesias, although infrequent, continue to be a problem as with the open method

BACKGROUND: Seven patients with acute tricuspid endocarditis underwent partial replacement of the tricuspid valve using mitral homograft tissue. Valve function was evaluated at midterm. METHODS: Operative indications were uncontrolled sepsis in all cases associated with heart failure symptoms in 3 patients and septic pulmonary emboli in 2 patients. These patients were referred to our institution after a course of antibiotic treatment ranging from 7 to 12 weeks. Lesions found at the level of the anterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve were vegetations and rupture of more than half of the marginal cords in all patients. Vegetations were also found on the posterior leaflet in 5 patients. In all instances the septal leaflet was free of lesions. The aortic valve was involved in 4 patients and the pulmonary valve in 1 patient. All patients underwent resection of the anterior and posterior leaflets of the tricuspid valve with their corresponding papillary muscles leaving the septal leaflet in place. Replacement of the tricuspid valve was performed through a right longitudinal atrial access, using the anterior leaflet of a mitral homograft alone in 3 patients and the anterior leaflet with part of posterior leaflet in 4 patients. Associated procedures included aortic valve replacement by a homograft (n = 4) and pulmonary valve reconstruction (n = 1). RESULTS: No hospital deaths are reported. One late death, at 16 months, is reported after reoperation due to recurrent aortic valve endocarditis. At midterm (mean follow-up, 30 months) patients had excellent functional status and normal valvular function during echocardiographic studies. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that when the degree of tricuspid valve destruction prevents repair, partial homograft replacement can be used as an extension of the already existing reconstructive techniques, with excellent functional results

OBJECTIVE: The development of endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting has been limited because of poor visualization and increased technical difficulties in carrying out operations through ports. We investigated whether the use of robotic assisted instruments could minimize these difficulties. METHODS: After a period of technical development and training on cadavers (n = 8) with the Intuitive Surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Inc, Mountain View, Calif), the first clinical application in coronary artery surgery was performed in 4 male patients (mean age 59 +/- 6 years) with the indication of grafting the left internal thoracic artery to the left anterior descending coronary artery. Robotic assisted 3-dimensional endoscopes and instruments were introduced into the left side of the chest through 3 intercostal ports. The Heartport system (Heartport, Inc, Redwood City, Calif) was used for arresting the heart during the anastomosis. RESULTS: In 2 patients, the harvesting of the left internal thoracic artery was completed endoscopically with robotic assisted instruments and the anastomosis to the left anterior descending artery was performed through a minithoracotomy with conventional instruments. In 2 other patients, the entire operation was completed endoscopically with robotic assisted instruments. Early postoperative coronary angiography demonstrated the patency of the grafts in all cases. At 6-month follow-up, all patients were free of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic assisted instruments make endoscopic coronary bypass possible and open a new era in minimally invasive surgery

The recent development of less invasive intracardiac surgery using small incisions and videoscopic techniques allowed an evaluation of the advantages and limitations of this new approach. Among the limitations was the increased difficulty of the surgical technique when using long instruments through small incisions and ports. We investigated whether computer assisted surgical instruments might bring a solution to this problem. Among the existing systems, we selected the Intuitive System because of two original features. It provides a stable, magnified, three dimensional view of the operating field at a console where the surgeon is seated to operate, and it uses computer assisted instruments having the same dexterity and range of motion as the hand. After 10 months of active work to adapt this system to intracardiac surgery, the first open heart operation using computer assisted instruments was carried out on a 52-year-old woman presenting an aneurysm and a large defect of the atrial septum. The patient was extubated 8 h after the operation, returned to her room 16 h later and was discharged from the hospital 8 d post-operatively with normal heart function and no residual shunt. This preliminary experience showed that computer assisted cardiac surgery is feasible and may open new and promising directions in open heart surgery