Anybody had AV Replacement with DaVinci Robot ?

[Skidude]

My 84 YO mother (Birmingham, AL) is facing AV replacement over the next month or so. With her age, I'm interested in whatever procedure gives her the easiest recovery with the least pain. She is lined up to see Dr. McGiffen at UAB which we have heard great things about. He does some types of minimally invasive AVRs, but not with the robot.

Does anybody know if there is quicker recovery with the robot versus other types of minimally invasive valve surgery?

Drs. Richardson/Lewis @ St Vincent's Birmingham AL do the robot valve replacement and do 250-300 a year, but nobody seems to know anything about them.

Thanks for any comments.

Ski Dude

 

[Greg a]

Ski Dude WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY we are all brothers and sisters in OHS and MANY IN ROBOTICS so there will be members along shortly to answer your concerns but there is a search function as well that will be of great help to you

 

[Lynlw]

Welcome, There are quite a few members that have min ninvasive AVR and a few robotics. How is your Mom's over all health?
Depending on her health, I also would ask about Aortic valves that are now in trials being replaced in the cathlab, like they do stents. Here is a link to the clinical trials you could read what criteria would make someone a candidate or exclude them. and list the centers they are being done in. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT00530894?term=sapien&rank=1&show_locs=Y#locn

 

[Skidude]

Thanks. Her overall health is good, and for that reason Cleveland Clinic said she probably won't qualify for the percutaneous valve.

SkiDude

 

[marie]

I know of someone (not on this site) that had the replacement by robot. His recovery seem to be quicker than mine and we are about the same age. I was 67 when I had mine and he is a couple of years younger. I had MI and I had lots of shoulder pain for several weeks after.

 

[Skidude]

Thanks for your comments Marie.

Ski Dude

 

[daveguy14]

I could be wrong, but I thought the robot is not yet used for AVR. See below:

At Cleveland Clinic, the robotically assisted surgical technique can be used in select patients during these heart operations:

* Mitral valve repair and replacement surgery and reoperations
* Tricuspid valve repair and replacement surgery and reoperations
* Combined mitral and tricuspid valve surgery
* Coronary artery bypass surgery
* Catheter ablation for the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
* Atrial septal defect (ASD) repair
* Patent foramen ovale (PFO) repair
* Removal of cardiac tumors
* Lead placement

But at her age, percutaneous might be an option. This is when they replace it via a catheter rather than open-heart surgery. But it's only being used on the very old who would not otherwise make it through a traditional surgery. Not sure if your Mom would be a candidate, or whether she would even want to be.