Robotic computer-assisted telemanipulation enhances coronary artery bypass

AbstractObjectives: Totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting depends greatly on perfecting the anastomosis. We tested a new computer-assisted telemanipulation robot (Intuitive Surgical Inc, Mountain View, Calif) in performing endoscopic coronary bypass. Methods: On-bench anastomoses of the porcine arterial graft to the left anterior descending coronary artery were performed with both direct visualization and conventional surgical instruments (group I), endoscopic 3-dimensional visualization and current endoscopic surgical instruments (group II), direct visualization and endoscopic instruments (group III), 3-dimensional endoscopic visualization and conventional surgical instruments (group IV), and telemanipulation robotic with 3-dimensional endoscopic visualization (group V). Anastomoses (n = 6 in each group) were assessed for time (minutes), quality (good = 3, fair = 2, poor = 1), technical difficulty (easy-difficult: 1-4), and patency (100% = 1, >50% = 2,