First robotic MIDCAB with the DaVinci Xi

First Robotic MIDCAB Procedure Performed at Europe Hospitals Using the DaVinci Xi Surgical Robot

On April 13, the first robotic MIDCAB procedure was performed at Europe Hospitals using the DaVinci Xi surgical robot by Dr. Erik De Worm, cardiothoracic surgeon.

Robot-assisted MIDCAB (Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass) is a minimally invasive cardiac surgery in which robotic arms are used to harvest the left internal mammary artery and perform a small direct incision (thoracotomy) to connect it to the blocked coronary artery. This technique avoids opening the sternum, resulting in less pain, a lower risk of infection, and a faster return to daily activities compared with traditional open-heart surgery.

Dr. De Worm used the DaVinci Xi surgical robot to free the left mammary artery from the chest wall through three small ports. The camera port is then slightly enlarged to create an incision of approximately 4 to 5 cm between the ribs on the left side of the chest. The surgeon then manually connects the harvested mammary artery to the blocked coronary artery. A stabilizer is used to keep the targeted area of the beating heart motionless during the procedure.

Compared with traditional coronary bypass surgery (open-heart surgery), robotic MIDCAB offers several advantages:

- No sternotomy: there is no need to split the breastbone.
- Less trauma: no heart-lung machine is required, reducing the risk of complications such as stroke.
- Faster recovery: patients often stay in the hospital for only 2 to 4 days and can resume normal daily activities more quickly.
- Cosmetic benefit: only small scars instead of a large central chest incision.

This procedure is particularly suitable for patients with a blockage in the anterior coronary artery. However, the robot allows both the left and right mammary arteries to be harvested with extreme precision, enabling multiple arterial bypass grafts through a small incision, either as part of or independent from a hybrid treatment approach.

Thanks to this robotic technology, a much larger number of patients requiring coronary bypass surgery can benefit from this less invasive approach.

Contact – Cardiothoracic Surgery Department: 02 614 27 20
More information via THIS LINK

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