• patient care

• July 13, 2022

Innovation Means Shorter Hospital Stays, Fewer Complications

By Melinda Krigel

Cardiothoracic surgeons Tom C. Nguyen, MD and Tobias Deuse, MD, perform UCSF’s first robotic mitral valve surgery. A 3D camera allows surgeons to see the mitral valve and other structures inside the heart. Surgeons use a robotic surgical system to guide the robotic arms and movements of the surgical instruments. Image by UCSF

Cardiothoracic surgeons at UC San Francisco have performed the first robotically assisted mitral valve surgery in San Francisco. The surgery was recently performed on a 63-year-old patient who had mitral valve prolapse.

Mitral valve surgery is performed when the heart’s mitral valve needs to be repaired. Traditionally, mitral valve surgery required opening the chest and putting the patient on heart-lung bypass to keep blood circulating during surgery. Since 2016, UCSF surgeons have been performing minimally invasive mitral valve surgery without having to open the sternum and with smaller incisions. Robotically assisted mitral valve surgery adds yet another level of precision.

“Robotically assisted mitral valve surgery allows us to make even smaller incisions with greater precision,” said Tom C. Nguyen, MD, robotic heart surgeon and chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at UCSF. “By using the robotic arms, we have more degrees of articulation than with our natural wrists. The robot also magnifies the surgical field 10X in 3D. Ultimately, this translates into more precise surgery with faster recovery.”

During the robotically assisted surgery, the surgeon looks through a 3D camera to see the mitral valve as well as other structures inside the heart. The surgeon uses the robotic surgical system to guide the robotic arms and movements of the surgical instruments.

“Every valve looks different, and the extraordinary 3D vision that the robot camera provides, is just a real step up from all the technologies we have been using in the past,” said Tobias Deuse, MD, cardiac and transplant surgeon and director of Minimally – Invasive Cardiac Surgery. “The camera, together with the increased mobility of the instruments, allows for a very thorough evaluation of the valve and helps us make good and long-lasting repairs.”

Thanks to these innovations, mitral valve patients have fewer complications and can be discharged within three-to-four days. This patient’s symptoms included increased fatigue and palpitations. Since the surgery, he is at home and his recovery is going well.

In addition to mitral valve surgery, there are plans for additional robotically assisted cardiothoracic surgeries, including removal of intracardiac tumors and myxomas as well as for coronary revascularization.

Other robotic surgeries currently being performed at UCSF encompassing a wide range of specialties and procedures, including removing cancerous tissue from the lungs, uterus, ovaries, colon, rectum, esophagus, bladder, prostate, head and neck, liver and pancreas. Other robotic surgeries are used for the treatment of uterine fibroids and endometriosis, female pelvic organ prolapse repairs, hernia repairs and bariatric surgery.

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SAN FRANCISCO, December 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Roam Robotics, the company leading the expansion of human mobility with wearable robotics, announced today that the San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS) along with the Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE) has begun enrolling patients to study the impact of Ascend, a first-of-its-kind smart brace, on the veteran population.

Ascend by Roam Robotics is a smart knee brace designed to relieve knee pain and intuitively support everyday mobility. A previous clinical study of participants with knee osteoarthritis showed an average pain reduction of 46 percent and 67 percent functional improvement when using the device. Ascend is the first wearable robotic device that proves useful in everyday life for people with knee joint pain who want to regain their independence and lead a more active lifestyle. Ascend is also registered with the FDA as a Class I medical device.

“I look forward to evaluating the Roam Robotics Ascend Motorized Knee Brace in veterans with knee osteoarthritis who experience significant knee pain during activities of daily living,” said Dr. Alfred Guo, Chief of Orthopedic Surgery, San Francisco VA Health Care System “Veterans are more likely than the general population to suffer from musculoskeletal conditions such as knee arthritis. The Ascend Brace has the potential to significantly improve pain, stability and function.”

Ascend offers an opioid-free and non-surgical solution for pain relief and increased stability while performing common movements such as walking, kneeling, standing, sitting, and stair climbing. “Roam’s technology has a proven track record of benefiting a wide range of patients suffering from knee pain, weak quadriceps or instability,” said Sujit dike, Vice President at Roam Robotics. “We are very excited about this partnership with the San Francisco VA. It further validates the potential impact of Roam’s technology in addressing an enormous and growing challenge facing the veteran population.”

“Roam is focused on a massively underserved market. More than 20 percent of the world’s population is limited by the mobility of their bodies, and as medical advances help people live longer, that number is only going to increase,” he said Tim Schnell, CEO and Founder of Roam. “Our approach to wearable robotics works seamlessly with the human body to help people live healthier, happier, and more active lives, unhindered by physical limitations.”

About Roaming Robotics

Roam Robotics is dedicated to helping millions of people push their current physical limits and expand their skills to do the activities they love. Roam was developed by Dr. Tim Schnell 2013 with the dream of creating lightweight, low-cost, wearable robotic devices that are easy to integrate into everyday life. Roam’s proprietary technology creates an unmatched power-to-weight ratio, leverages scalable manufacturing techniques, and leverages innovative wearable robotics technology to improve and push the boundaries of human mobility.

For more information about Ascend, visit: www.ascend.health
For more information about Roam Robotics, visit: www.roamrobotics.com

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SOURCE Roam Robotics

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