Double Cardiac Valves Were Replaced by Robotic Surgery

The operation was performed at Acıbadem Hospitals Group for the first time in the world.

Traditionally, cardiac valves are replaced during open-heart surgery by cutting through the breastbone and opening the ribs. However, this can increase the length of hospital stay, risk of infection, blood loss, need for transfusions, scarring and pain.

48-year-old Sekernaz Cicek was diagnosed with stenosis and leaking of the mitral and tricuspid valves associated with the pyretic disease in her childhood. She needed surgery in order to correct this condition; however there was a problem. Since she had a lot of benign tumors in her body, large incisions were dangerous.

Therefore, Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery Cem Alhan, M.D. decided to operate Sekernaz with the “da Vinci Surgical System” which enables the surgeon to operate with a small incision. Prof. Alhan and his team of 10 specialists perform the surgery 3 meters away from the operation table using a computer console that controls the surgical instruments on robotic arms. Robotic arms of the da Vinci are introduced through a 2 cm incision below the chest to change the cardiac valves. Just two days after the operation, Sekernaz Cicek saw closely the robot operated her.

Features of the da Vinci…

Even someone with shaking hands can use

• While using the da Vinci Surgical Robotic System, the surgeon does not have to be present at the surgical area. Indeed, the surgeon and the operating room can be as far as in two continents. The intercontinental trail operation was successfully performed.
• Most Turkish surgeons are trained in Germany and France for using the robot. Pigs and cadavers were used in experiments.

The three-dimensional camera magnifies the images 12 times better than the naked eye. da Vinci has four arms and each arm has the ability to rotate 540 degrees. That’s to say it can move in a very small hole in which no surgeon can do. Even a surgeon, whose hands are shaking, can operate with the robot, because the system eliminates tremor and maximizes control.

In traditional heart surgery, the rib cage is opened. However, robotically assisted surgery is performed through a small incision which reduces the recovery time and post-operative pain.

Blood transfusion is not required due to decreased bleeding rate.

The patient can lie in the lateral position just a day after the operation.

The length of hospital stay is shortened; the patient is discharged in few days. The patient can even ride a bicycle one week after the operation. Compared to open-heart surgery in which it takes 2 months going back to daily life, it takes as short as 1 week when performed with the robotic surgery.

“One valve replacement was being performed”

Professor Alhan who takes a place in the medical history with this operation said “Up until now only one valve change was performed by robotic surgery, and yet the number of these operations was not more than 7-8 cases in the world. We have changed two valves for the first time in the world through robotic surgery. We inserted mechanic and cattle valves into our patient. Today, we have carried out 20 operations with this method. We can perform mitral operations, tricuspid valves repair and replace, coronary by-pass and operations of rhythm disorders with this method.”

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