Robotics in Cardiovascular Interventions

The Development of Robotic Technology in Cardiac and Vascular Interventions

Ali Pourdjabbar, Lawrence Ang, Ryan R. Reeves, Mitul P. Patel, and Ehtisham Mahmud

Abstract

Robotic technology has been used in cardiovascular medicine for over a decade, and over that period its use has been expanded to interventional cardiology and percutaneous coronary and peripheral vascular interventions. The safety and feasibility of robotically assisted interventions has been demonstrated in multiple studies ranging from simple to complex coronary lesions, and in the treatment of ileofemoral and infrapopliteal disease. These studies have shown a reduction in operator exposure to harmful ionizing radiation, and the use of robotics has the intuitive benefit of alleviating the occupational hazard of operator orthopedic injuries. In addition to the interventional operator benefits, robotically assisted intervention has the potential also to be beneficial for patients by allowing more accurate lesion length measurement, stent placement, and patient radiation exposure; however, more investigation is required to elucidate these benefits fully.

Rambam Maimonides Med J 2017;8(3):e0030