Linz hospital performs first robotic bypass operations

Doctors at Kepler University Hospital in Linz have performed the first two robot assisted bypass operations there, ORF reported. The procedures were carried out last week by a team led by Andreas Zierer, head of thoracic surgery. Until now, the technique had only been used at Floridsdorf Clinic, the report said.

Zierer said the approach could eventually be used for about half of all heart operations, although regulatory approvals are still needed for wider use.

In conventional heart surgery, doctors cut through the breastbone and connect the patient to a heart lung machine. Cutting the bone increases the risk of bone infections, while the machine can cause problems with blood clotting. Patients undergoing the robotic procedure recover more quickly, and their hospital stay can be reduced by half.

The robotic system gives surgeons more flexibility than conventional keyhole surgery, Zierer said. The surgeon operates from a console, using joints in the robotic arms to move more freely inside the patient. At present, only bypass operations are approved for this method. New systems are expected to receive approval in Europe soon, which could also allow robotic heart valve operations.

About 1,600 heart operations are currently performed each year in Upper Austria, and Zierer estimates that roughly half could eventually be suitable for robotic treatment. Kepler University Hospital currently has one Da Vinci robot, which is available to the heart surgery department once a month. Such a system costs between two million and 2.5 million euros.

Upper Austria’s health councillor and deputy governor Christine Haberlander said the state is preparing a strategy for the use of robots.