Surgeons Perform World First Robot-Assisted Heart Valve Repair

A team of cardiologists and surgeons in China has completed the world’s first transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER), a procedure where a small device is implanted in a heart valve to help restore regular blood flow. 

In the robotic-assisted surgery, the team used a system made up of a robotic articulating arm, a control computer and a cockpit fitted with joysticks. 

The novel robotic system was provided by Shenqi Medical, which the surgical team said was “incorporated into the TEER device to replace the manual operation.”

“A robotic endovascular procedure has the advantage of improved stability and reduced radiation,” said Da Zhu, first author of a report on the surgery. 

The procedure took place at Fuwai Yunnan Hospital in China and reportedly took only 38 minutes to complete, with successful results.

“The postoperative period was uneventful,” the authors wrote. “The patient was discharged on the fourth day. This first-in-man application demonstrates the initial feasibility and safety of a robotic-assisted TEER procedure.”

Funding for the project was provided by the National Key Research and Development Program and the Major Science and Technology Special Plan Project of Yunnan Province.