London Hospital Pioneers Revolutionary Replacement of Robotic Aortic Valve – London

The London Health Sciences Center is breaking new ground in cardiac surgery.

For the first time, University Hospital surgeons performed a robotic replacement of the aortic valve in a patient with aortic stenosis, which corresponds to a narrowing of the aortic valve caused by calcification.

A group of surgeons from around the world defined the criteria for determining which would be best for the operation. Jim Fuller answered the call.

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"I'm glad my little role I did can help someone else," he said.

Because both the valve and chest cavity were the right size, the hospital was able to use its da Vinci robot to replace the calcific valve with a new one. The procedure was carried out in June.

"I'm back to do everything I did before," said 78-year-old Fuller. [the stairs] was very difficult to do; I will be out of breath. If I bent over, I would have my head spinning and now everything is gone.

Dr. Bob Kiaii, Head of Cardiac Surgery at the London Health Sciences Center, said the robot had entered between his ribs so he did not need to open his chest cavity. This meant less trauma for the patient and, in turn, faster recovery.

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"The purpose of this is to provide another alternative option to patients such as Mr Fuller so that we can be able to provide less invasive care with the use of robotic technology, [and] hopefully we will be able to provide better surgery and make it from our point of view more accurately, "said Dr. Kiaii.

Because surgery is minimally invasive, the risk of complications is also reduced.

"Surgery is considered not only in the discipline of hearts, but in the case of all disciplines that must be practiced less invasively," said Dr. Kiaii, adding that "this has certainly resulted in better recovery, potentially less complications, and also for patients much easier to resume their regular activities. "

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