Robotic-enhanced totally endoscopic mitral valve repair and ablative therapy

Purpose. The aim of this article was to assess the feasibility of totally closed robotic mitral valve repair and ablative therapy. Description. Two patients with mitral valve disease and permanent atrial fibrillation underwent the combined procedure using the da Vinci robotic system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA). Radiofrequency ablation was performed using the Cardioblate XL unipolar pen (Medtronic Inc, Minneapolis, MN). One patient underwent mitral commissurotomy and the other commissurotomy and Reed annuloplasty. Evaluation. There were no procedure-related complications. Sinus rhythm was established in both patients after the operation, and transesophageal echocardiography revealed competent mitral valves without residual gradients. Conclusions. Robotic-enhanced mitral valve repair and ablation proved feasible in both patients with good clinical outcome. The described combined method may find broader application in a selected group of patients with the continuing evolution in technology.