Robotic-assisted Cardiothoracic Surgery

Dr. Miguel Gomez is Houston’s leader in Robotic-assisted Cardiothoracic Surgery, performing more robotic-assisted cardiothoracic surgeries than any other surgeon in Houston using the amazing da Vinci Surgical System. Dr. Gomez also currently serves as Director of Robotic Surgery at the Memorial Hermann Hospital Memorial City Medical Center at the Heart and Vascular Institute.

The da Vinci Surgical System is powered by state-of-the-art robotic technology. The da Vinci System enhances surgical capabilities by enabling the performance of complex surgeries through tiny surgical openings. The System cannot be programmed, nor can it make decisions on its own. The da Vinci System requires that every surgical maneuver be performed with direct input from our surgeons.

The biggest benefit of robotic-assisted cardiothoracic surgery is undoubtedly the ability to be minimally invasive. The 3D imaging system allows our surgeons to perform procedures inside a closed chest, with hand movements that parallel conventional surgery. Only a few incisions are made into the patient, ensuring a much faster recovery time. The FDA first approved the da Vinci Surgical System for assisting in cardiothoracic surgery in 1997, while approving it for the full surgery in 2000.

Robotic Surgery Can Reduce Risks

This procedure uses a state-of-the-art surgical system designed to help our surgeons to see vital anatomical structures more clearly and to perform a more precise surgical procedure. For most patients, this procedure offers dramatic benefits over traditional open-chest surgery, including:

• Shorter hospital stay
• Less pain and scarring
• Less risk of infection
• Less blood loss and fewer transfusions
• Faster recovery
• Quicker return to normal activities

Robotic-assisted cardiothoracic surgery is a new and exciting field with very few surgical experts, even in the renowned Texas Medical Center.  Houston Cardiac Surgery Associates offers you the greatest robotic expertise available in Houston.  If you are considering having your heart surgery at St. Luke’s, Methodist, or Memorial Hermann, please contact us.  Here are some of the robotic-assisted surgeries that Dr. Gomez can perform using the robot:

• Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass and Single- and Multi-vessel Minithoracotomy
• ASD Closure (Atrial Septal Defect Repair)
• LVD Lead Placement (Epicardial Pacemaker Leads)
• Pericardial Windows
• Thoracic Tumor Removal (Thymectomy for Myesthemia Gravis)
• Heller Esophageal Myotomy (esophagomyotomy)
• Lung Lobectomy Surgery (Wedge resection of mass)
• Robotic-assisted Maze Surgery for Atrial Fibrillation Ablation
• Mitral Valve Repair

Contact Us to learn more or to schedule an appointment to see if you may qualify for this new surgical option in cardiothoracic surgery, or click here to read one patient’s story about the benefits of this innovative surgical technique.