Robotically Assisted Heart Surgery: Intracardiac Tumor: Atrial Myxoma
Robotically assisted intracardiac tumor surgery is a type of minimally invasive heart surgery performed on myxomas with an endoscopic, closed chest approach.
New approaches to minimally invasive heart surgery
What is an intracardiac tumor?
An intracardiac tumor can be any tumor of the heart, either malignant or benign. The most common tumor of the heart is a benign atrial myxoma, which most frequently occurs in the left atrium. It causes symptoms when its growth produces a tumor so large it obstructs blood flow through the heart chambers. This type of tumor increases the risk of stroke. Heart surgery is required to remove the cardiac tumor. Removal of these tumors is almost always curative and greatly reduces the risk of stroke.
Robotically-Assisted Cardiac Tumor Surgery: smaller incision
During the robotically-assisted tumor removal procedure, the surgeon’s hands control the movement and placement of the endoscopic instruments through small incisions in the left atrium, and the instruments are used to remove the tumor.
What are the benefits of robotically-assisted surgery?
Compared with traditional surgery, the benefits of robotically-assisted surgery include:
- Smaller incisions with minimal scarring Less trauma to the patient, including less pain Shorter hospital stay (usually 3 to 4 days) Decreased use of pain medications Less bleeding Decreased risk of infection
- Shorter recovery and quicker return to daily and professional activities: The patient can resume normal activities and work as soon as he or she feels up to it; there are no specific activity restrictions after robotically-assisted surgery
Click here to learn more how robotically assisted heart surgery works.
If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for robot assisted cardiac tumor surgery or learn more about minimally invasive heart surgery, click here to contact us or call the Heart and Vascular Institute Resource & Information Nurse at 216.445.9288 or toll-free at 866.289.6911. We would be happy to help you.
Surgeons who perform robotically-assisted heart surgery
Robot assisted surgery is performed by specially trained cardiovascular surgeons. Cleveland Clinic Heart Surgeons who perform robotic assisted surgery include:
Some of these surgeons perform only specific types of robotically assisted heart surgery. We would be happy to help you find the right surgeon to treat your medical condition .
Robotically assisted heart surgeries:
Learn more how robotically assisted heart surgery works.
For more information:
Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
Images used with permission by © Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
