Robotic technology in cardiovascular medicine

The main fields of use of robotic technology in cardiovascular medicine are endoscopic cardiac and vascular surgery, endovascular surgery, catheter-based ablation therapy for atrial fibrillation, and percutaneous coronary interventionRobotic devices enable complex endoscopic reconstructive manoeuvres in narrow spaces and can increase surgical precision; however, robotically assisted totally endoscopic approaches in cardiac and vascular surgery are technically challengingIn catheter-based interventions, robotic technology leads to improved catheter stability and reduced radiation exposure to both intervention teams and patientsAll robotically assisted cardiovascular surgical procedures and catheter-based interventions involve a learning curve, during which conversion rates to conventional techniques and operative times are reducedProspective, randomized trials to compare robotic and conventional approaches are lacking; observational studies and nonrandomized comparative studies show basic feasibility and safety of robotic interventions and intermediate-term results are promising