Left thorax approach to repair doubly committed juxta-arterial ventricular septal defect with Da Vinci robotic system

Current treatment outcomes of congenital heart disease and future perspectives

China has the largest number of individuals with congenital heart disease (CHD) in the world and a heavy burden of CHD. Therefore, understanding current CHD treatment outcomes and patterns in China will contribute to global progress in CHD treatment and be a valuable experience. Generally, CHD treatment in China has satisfactory outcomes owing to the joint efforts by all relevant stakeholders across the country. However, efforts are needed to overcome the remaining challenges: management of mitral valve disease and paediatric end-stage heart failure needs to be improved; cohesive paediatric cardiology teams should be established and collaboration between hospitals enhanced; CHD-related medical resources need to be more accessible and equitable; and nationwide CHD databases should be enhanced. In the second paper of this Series, we aim to systematically summarise the current CHD treatment outcomes in China, discuss potential solutions, and provide future perspectives.

Early results of totally endoscopic robotic aortic valve replacement: analysis of 4 cases

Objective

To evaluate the role of totally endoscopic robotic aortic valve replacement in cardiac surgery.

Methods

Four cases of totally robotic aortic valve replacement (AVR) were conducted from December 2016 to July 2018. All operations were completed with the Da Vinci robot Si™ system (intuitive Surgical, Inc. Sunnyvale, C.A, USA). Patients were male, with a mean age of 42.8 ± 6.2 years (range 32–49).

Results

AVR was completed with the Da Vinci Si™ system (intuitive Surgical, Inc. Sunnyvale, CA, USA). There was no mortality and no procedure-related morbidity. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass and mean cross-clamp time was 252 ± 13.6 min and 178.8 ± 17.1 min, respectively. The mean ICU time was 78.8 ± 27.1 h, and the mean hospital stay was 15 ± 3.5 d. During a mean follow-up of 3 years and 6 months, the patients returned to normal function, and no heart murmur was found. Compared with the operation, the body image score of the four patients increased after the operation, and the hospital anxiety and depression scale scores decreased, indicating that the patient's condition had been alleviated to a certain extent.

Conclusion

Totally endoscopic robotic AVR is a feasible and viable choice for patients but requires further improvement for broader use.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13019-022-01899-3.