SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – Doctors from Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital and Baptist Health Miami helped make medical history with the help of a robot that repaired a 14-year-old\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n
Surgeons from Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital Heart Institute and Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute performed the first-of-its-kind surgery using robotic technology.<\/p>\n
The teen, Brian, said he recovered quickly after the surgery and is now thriving.<\/p>\n
\u201cI recovered so fast, practically I\u2019m living the life I lived before,\u201d said Brian. \u201cEvery day I literally got better; right now it feels like I didn\u2019t even have the surgery that much.\u201d<\/p>\n
The surgeons completed an atrial septal defect repair to close the hole in the wall dividing the upper chambers of the teen\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we put a lot of effort in terms of preparation in advance to make it as seamless as possible, and it\u2019s a very rewarding moment obviously, being able to see the patient doing so well,\u201d said Dr. David Kalfa from Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital.<\/p>\n
The procedure is the first performed in Florida, and only a few have been done in the nation.<\/p>\n
Kalfa explained the process behind the surgery and the options behind it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see what we can do and whether or not we can offer a minimally invasive approach, which means an approach with a smaller incision, potentially less pain and less discomfort, and a faster return to a normal life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The surgeon remains in full control of the operation and uses robotic instruments to translate the hand movements into precise and minimally invasive motion inside the patient\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n
Kalfa and Dr. Tom C. Nguyen both led the surgery.<\/p>\n
Nguyen emphasized that this approach is a better alternative to open-heart surgery.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we can conceal the scar and, through a tiny incision, repair complex parts of the patient\u2019s heart, but more importantly, we can do it very effectively, I would argue sometimes better than open-heart surgery where you go through the front,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Kalfa said that the new achievement is just the beginning for the surgeons involved.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will keep pushing the envelope to offer the most advanced surgical techniques to children,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital is now among the few hospitals in the nation that offer cardiac interventions utilizing robotics technology for pediatric patients.<\/p>\n
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