Robotic Mitral Valve Repair for Mitral Valve Disease

NYU Langone is one of only a few medical centers in the country to offer robotically assisted mitral valve repair. Surgeons in our Mitral Valve Repair Program are pioneers in the field, and have performed nearly 1,000 robotically assisted mitral valve repairs.

During robotically assisted mitral valve repair, a team of surgeons directs the movements of the da Vinci^® surgical system, which features robotic tools and a camera that provide three-dimensional, high-definition views of the anatomy of your heart valve. This up-close view creates detailed images that allow your doctor to determine the best surgical approach for your particular mitral valve repair.

Your surgeon accesses the heart valve through five small incisions, each no wider than a pencil, between the ribs and through the right chest wall. Surgeons direct the robotic system to make precise movements inside the heart in a range of motion the human hand isn’t capable of performing. These robotic surgical tools have a greater range of motion than the human hand, allowing for more intricate movements. This increases the precision of the valve repair technique.

Robotically assisted mitral valve repair is often recommended for people who are young, active, and need a short recovery time so they can quickly return to their normal activities. It is also recommended for tricuspid valve repair.

Robotically assisted mitral valve repair typically involves less blood loss, less postoperative pain, and less chance of infection, and it requires a shorter recovery time than traditional open heart surgery, also known as sternotomy. Most people require a two- to three-day stay in the hospital, followed by recovery at home.