Saint Joseph Hospital’s new da Vinci robotic heart surgery is a minimally invasive, closed chest procedure. With traditional “open chest” surgery, most patients and their loved ones experience tremendous pre-op fear and anxiety about the procedure, which involves a 10-inch incision, splitting the patient’s breastbone, and spreading the ribs with a retractor. Recovery after the surgery is long and usually painful due to the large chest wound.

Patients are usually not allowed to drive for one month and must avoid heavy lifting for three months following an open-heart surgery.

Patients undergoing da Vinci robotic heart surgery usually have just three tiny incisions less than 1 cm, and the chest is not “cracked open” at all. In most cases, patients have far fewer restrictions on activities, and are up and active much sooner.