Robotic & Minimally Invasive Surgery
In addition to traditional open surgeries, the cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons at WakeMed perform a number of minimally invasive and robotic surgeries to treat certain patients with a variety of heart and vascular conditions.
These sophisticated, less-invasive surgeries—which typically reduce complication risks and require less recovery time—include:
- Endovascular aneurysm repair: Uses a coil or multiple coils to help stop bleeding, restore normal blood flow and relieve pressure on the brain after an aneurysm
- Thoracic endovascular aortic repair: A surgery performed inside the aorta that uses long tubes and imaging guidance to insert a stent graft that diverts blood away from the aneurysm
- Subcutaneous implantable defibrillator (S-ICD) implantation: A new technology that provides defibrillation therapy when implanted under the skin, helping to restore the heart’s normal rhythm
- Ventricular tachycardia ablation: A procedure that can locate and cauterize the areas where an arrhythmia occurs, using an incision in the leg and an injection of adrenaline to trigger the arrhythmia. Once found, surgeons can deliver a low-voltage current to seal the area and prevent future arrhythmias in the region.
- LARIAT-assisted left atrial appendage closure: A minimally-invasive procedure to seal off the area where many stroke-causing clots tend to form in the left atrial appendage.
- Placement of automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) for heart arrhythmia: The ICD unit is equipped with electrodes that sense the heartbeat, and has a generator that functions as a heart regulator
- Placement of biventricular ICD pacemaker for heart failure: A biventricular pacemaker can help improve the electrical timing of the heart and improve a coordinated response between the ventricles.
If you require surgery to treat a heart and/or vascular condition, ask your surgeon if you are a candidate for a minimally invasive procedure.