Robotic Heart Valve Surgery: A New Frontier in Minimally Invasive Cardiac Care

Corcym and CardioPrecision have joined forces to develop a groundbreaking robotic approach to aortic valve replacement, potentially offering patients the benefits of both minimally invasive procedures and traditional open-heart surgery. This collaboration marks a significant advancement in cardiac care, combining innovative technologies to improve patient outcomes and recovery times.

The AVATAR Procedure: Bridging TAVR and Open Surgery

The new procedure, dubbed AVATAR (Advanced Videoscopic Aortic surgery by Transcervical Approach using Robot assistance), utilizes Corcym's surgical heart valve and CardioPrecision's specialized CoreVista retractor system. Unlike transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), which has become increasingly popular due to its less invasive nature, AVATAR allows surgeons to remove diseased tissue before implanting the new valve.

"We know that surgery offers the best long-term outcome, but when you're facing an operation, the long term is one thing, but the short term is right there in front of you. And people want something that's a lot less invasive," explained Fraser Sutherland, chief medical officer of CardioPrecision and a cardiothoracic surgeon.

The AVATAR procedure involves making a small incision at the base of the neck, through which Corcym's sutureless valve is delivered to the heart. CardioPrecision's retractor system creates an opening by lifting the rib cage, while a camera illuminates the surgical site. The entire process is displayed on a monitor mounted on the robot's arm, providing surgeons with clear visibility throughout the operation.

Advantages Over Traditional Methods

Christian Mazzi, CEO of Corcym, emphasized the key difference between AVATAR and TAVR: "The real crux of the difference between TAVR and a surgical approach like ours is that in surgery, you have the ability to go in and remove the diseased tissue and kind of reset the anatomy so it can be perfectly receiving the new valve. You cannot do that in TAVR."

Additionally, Corcym's valve requires no sutures, allowing for faster deployment compared to other surgical valves. This feature, combined with the minimally invasive approach, is expected to reduce pain, scarring, and recovery time for patients.

The collaboration between Corcym, CardioPrecision, and Intuitive Surgical (whose da Vinci robot is used in the procedure) represents a significant step forward in minimally invasive cardiac surgery. In August, the first valve replacement using this robotically assisted procedure was successfully performed at the Cleveland Clinic, with several more procedures completed since then.

As the field of robotic cardiac surgery continues to evolve, AVATAR stands out as a promising alternative that could potentially offer patients the best of both worlds: the long-term benefits of traditional surgery with the reduced invasiveness of transcatheter procedures.