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	See a Replay of a live Off-Pump Coronary Bypass – A Beating Heart Procedure. Dr. Miguel Gomez Performs the First Robotic-assisted Multi-vessel Minithoracotomy in Houston Dr. Donald Gibson and Dr. Miguel Gomez Perform 1500th Off-pump Bypass in Houston Houston Cardiac Surgery Associates Utilize State-of-the-art Robotic Surgical System. More News...

Until a few years ago, most patients having Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) surgery were placed on the heart-lung machine, which substituted for the patient's own heart and lungs and allowed surgeons to perform their delicate, precise cutting and sewing on a still heart. Now, surgeons and medical device companies have collaborated to develop new equipment and procedures to improve on CABG surgery by developing Beating Heart CABG surgery and robotic-assisted cardiac surgery. Houston Cardiac Surgery Associates is one of the leading the Surgical Group Practices to apply these new technologies.

With continued leadership in cutting-edge, minimally-invasive surgical techniques, Houston Cardiac Surgery Associates offers the most expertise in Houston with robotic-assisted cardiothoracic surgery using the da Vinci Surgical System. This less invasive surgery offers many benefits over traditional open-chest surgery:

• Shorter hospital stay
• Less pain and scarring (3-4 inches vs. 12-14 inches)
• Faster recovery and quicker return to normal activities (2-3 weeks vs. 2-3 months)
• Less risk of infection, less blood loss, and fewer transfusions

Learn more about robotic surgery and read one patient’s story

“Off-pump” or Beating Heart Surgery allows the heart to

See a recording of a live webcast of an actual Off-Pump Surgery performed by our surgeons. View Surgery Webcast.

continue beating while the surgery is performed. Using a heart-stabilizing device, only a small section of the heart that needs the bypass graft is immobilized so that the heart continues to beat and pump blood to the body. This procedure is less invasive on the patient allowing for shorter time in surgery, a faster recovery and reduced likelihood for complications such as, pneumonia, fluid retention, bleeding and more.

Houston Cardiac Surgery Associates leads Houston in the number of off-pump (beating heart) surgeries. Houston Cardiac Surgery Associates have performed over 2,000 off-pump heart surgeries, more than any other hospital in Houston, and we lead the national average for applying this beneficial procedure to heart surgery patients. "Off-pump" procedures account for approximately 97% of our cardiac surgical bypass operations. The national average is about 10% to 15%. Learn more about off-pump / beating heart surgery.