New Lutheran robot assists heart procedures
Please note—this article originally appeared in the February 4, 2010 edition of Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly. Original Web site linkLutheran Hospital has become the first hospital in Indiana to use advanced robotics in electrophysiology for performing complex heart procedures, officials announced Thursday.
The equipment, known as the Sensei X Robotic Catheter System, allows electrophysiologists to access difficult locations deep in the heart when portions of the heart that cause atrial fibrillation and arrhythmia are burned away.
"Having this technology provides stability and reach that's unparalleled, so that's a major advantage," Dr. Zee Chang, medical director of Lutheran's electrophysiology program, said. "Also, the robotic arm reduces the radiation exposure, which is beneficial to everyone."
Dr. Sree Karanam, a Lutheran cardiologist, said the robotic arm also enhances patient safety because it applies the minimum, steady force required to complete an operation, minimizing the chances of damage to other areas of the heart.
Moreover, Karanam said the robotic arm reduces physician fatigue.
In the heart surgeries he performs manually, he stands in a lead suit for four to six hours while carefully maneuvering a catheter with an electrode tip toward the target area. Throughout the procedure, the heart is beating, and often the target is elusive.
"There are certain places in the heart," Karanam said, "you don't get to manually very easily."
