Farabi Hospital, affiliated with Karadeniz Technical University (KTÜ) in Turkey, has begun adopting robotic surgery techniques in the specialty of cardiovascular surgery, with the first operations using this system performed on patients from the provinces of Rize and Gümüşhane. This step aims to improve clinical outcomes and reduce the side effects associated with traditional surgical procedures.
Advantages of Robotic Surgery in Heart Operations
Professor Dr. Ahmet Coşkun Özdemir, a faculty member in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at the hospital, explained that the fundamental advantage of robotic technology lies in its ability to reduce surgical trauma to its lowest levels. Robotic systems allow surgeons to have precise, magnified views of areas that are difficult to reach or see clearly during traditional open-heart surgeries.
What changes practically for patients?
Özdemir spoke about the fundamental differences in the recovery period, noting that traditional open-heart surgeries usually require splitting the breastbone, which imposes movement restrictions on the patient for up to two months, such as preventing sleeping on the side or driving a car. In contrast, robotic surgery and minimally invasive techniques contribute to:
- Reducing pain resulting from large surgical incisions.
- Significantly shortening the hospital stay.
- Enabling the patient to practice daily activities, such as driving or sleeping in a comfortable position, within a short period.
- Returning to work and normal life within a period ranging from one week to 10 days.
Patients who underwent these operations, such as a patient who suffered from a hole in the heart and a patient who underwent a bypass operation, confirmed a rapid improvement in their health condition and a noticeable decrease in pain levels immediately after surgery.
It is noteworthy that Farabi Hospital is currently the only center in the Black Sea region that provides this technology, making it a destination for patients from various neighboring provinces seeking less invasive surgical options.