Da Vinci robot transforms heart surgery in California

Coronary artery bypass surgery is a major ordeal — open-heart surgery lasting three to six hours, a stay in the hospital that could last up to a week, then six to 12 weeks of recovery. For one patient at Doctors Medical Center (DMC) in Modesto, Calif., the procedure was much simpler thanks to John deGraft-Johnson, M.D., and the da Vinci robot. DeGraft-Johnson and his team performed what may be the first robotic-assisted coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in the state. After the surgery the patient only needed to stay in the hospital for two days before returning home, where they are doing well.

The da Vinci robot is controlled by the surgeon and executes the surgical steps through small incisions between the patient’s ribs. Because of the robot’s small size, the “arms” have greater range of motion, greater access and more precision than a surgeon would without the robot. In addition, deGraft-Johnson didn’t just graft one of the patient’s blocked arteries, but two. This signals that there may be hope for those who have severe arterial blockage.

“The level of skill indicates to me that Dr. deGraft-Johnson can also work with the cardiologists to perform a robotic hybrid multivessel CABG on patients with four, five or six blocked arteries by involving a cardiologist,” said Pete Carnegie, the CEO of Minimally Invasive Solutions, a national company that trains physicians to use the da Vinci robot. This means that those who are so sick that open-heart surgery is too high of a risk may be able to receive life-saving treatment.

For more on Dr. deGraft-Johnson’s surgery and the da Vinci robot, click here.