Santa Casa de Ponta Grossa performs first robotic cardiac surgeries

On Wednesday (21) the Santa Casa de Ponta Grossa performed the first robotic heart surgeries. The procedures represent a new milestone for the Institution, expanding the possibilities of specialized treatment for the population of Campos Gerais.

The two surgeries were performed on the same day in patients of different generations: an 80-year-old man and a 15-year-old teenager. The 80-year-old patient underwent myocardial revascularization, a procedure popularly known as saphenous bridge, used to restore blood flow to the heart muscle.

The 15-year-old patient presented interatrial communication (IAC), a congenital disorder characterized by an opening between the atria, the two upper cavities of the heart. The procedure aimed to correct the defect and prevent possible future complications associated with the condition.

Both surgeries were performed through Stratner’s Da Vinci X Robot, by the medical team formed by the professionals Dr. Marcelo Freitas, Dr. Rodrigo Ribeiro de Souza and Dr. Arnaldo Okino.

According to heart surgeon Dr. Marcelo Freitas, the use of robotic technology in cardiac procedures expands the technical resources available to the medical team, with precise movements and greater control during the operation.

"Robotic heart surgery requires planning, training and a careful evaluation of each patient. Performing these two procedures on the same day, in patients aged 80 and 15, shows the diversity of cases that can be evaluated and treated with the support of this technology, always respecting the particularities and needs of each patient," explains the doctor.

Technology allied to quality care

For the technical director of Santa Casa, Rogério Clemente, the completion of the procedures represents an advance in the institution’s care capacity and the offer of specialized treatments.

"The first robotic heart surgeries demonstrate the evolution of our structure and the qualification of the teams working on the Santa Casa. The incorporation of advanced technologies, combined with professional training, allows us to expand the possibilities of treatment and strengthen the quality of care offered to our patients", highlights Clemente.

The Santa Casa provider, Juarez Antônio Carvalho, points out that the advance benefits not only Ponta Grossa, but also the municipalities that have Santa Casa as a reference in care in serious diseases.

"Every technological advance achieved by Santa Casa represents new possibilities of care for the population. Performing robotic heart surgeries is an important step towards strengthening the specialist care of the Campos Gerais,” he says.

Consolidated experience in robotic surgery

The Institution has already performed procedures such as partial and total nephrectomies, ureterointestinal reimplantation, hepatectomy, lymphadenectomy, enterectomy, hemicolectomy, hysterectomy, herniorrhaphy, surgeries for the treatment of endometriosis, gastrectomy, pancreatectomy and gastroplasty.

The diversity of procedures demonstrates the expansion of non-hospital robotic surgery and the investment in resources that contribute to the improvement of care in different areas of medicine.

With the realization of the first robotic heart surgeries, Santa Casa advances in its trajectory of innovation, strengthening its structure of high complexity and its commitment to the offer of specialized care to the population of Ponta Grossa and the other municipalities of Campos Gerais.

Successful partnership

Today’s surgeries are another action of the HMRI (Health and Medical Robotic Institute), with Hospital Santa Casa de Ponta Grossa. HMRI, an institute founded in Brazil and committed to the world, which together with UniCaron/Scolla is dedicated to the diffusion of minimally invasive and robotic surgery through the teaching tripod that multiplies, technology that achieves and health that develops. For five years forming multipliers, the Institute, through its academic partnerships with Unicaron and with the Scolla Surgical Training Center, carries out the training of reference teams in robotic heart surgery and offers complete support to the deployment of new units of high complexity in robotic surgery in the country.

By the Institute, the work of the robotic heart surgery team in Santa Casa de Ponta Grossa was conducted by Dr. Rodrigo Ribeiro, co-founder of HMRI. The Institute offers theoretical training, training in simulators, surgical proctory and follow-up for structuring sustainable robotic programs, with a focus on patient safety and democratization of access to high technology.

"To train a new team of robotic cardiac surgery on the Campos Gerais is exactly HMRI's mission: to bring cutting-edge technology to where the patient is. When we train a local reference team like the Santa Casa de Ponta Grossa, we ensure that an 80-year-old patient or a 15-year-old girl can access robotic cardiac surgery without having to move to large centers. It is less pain, less time of ICU, faster recovery and return to home with health. It is technology at the service of those who need it most, forming multipliers throughout the country," says Dr. Rodrigo Ribeiro, co-founder of HMRI – Health and Medical Robotic Institute.

 

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