09-25-2024 Primetime - Flipbook - Page 8
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A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Wednesday, September 25, 2024
HEALTH
University of Maryland
Medical Center surgeon
pioneers use of robotics
to repair or replace
damaged mitral valves
Robotic heart surgery reduces
infection risk, lessens pain and
delivers faster recovery than
traditional heart surgery
T
he heart’s mitral valve, one of the four main valves and located on the left
side of the heart between the left atrium and left ventricle, is critical, as
it allows blood to flow from your left atrium to your left ventricle, and its
leaflets close to prevent blood from flowing backward into the left atrium and into
your lungs. A damaged mitral value—whether it’s regurgitation of blood back into
the heart or stenosis, a narrowing of a heart valve—is a serious condition that
must be addressed.
Traditionally, a mitral valve repair or
replacement was done by a median sternotomy, where a surgeon opens the center of
your chest and cuts through the breastbone
to reach your heart; however, David Samuel
Zapata, M.D., cardiothoracic surgeon at the
University of Maryland Medical Center and
an assistant professor of surgery at the
University of Maryland School of Medicine,
has pioneered the use of robotics to repair or
replace a damaged mitral valve, resulting in
a minimal incision and faster recovery time.
“I am the only surgeon in the state who
is utilizing this robotic procedure, and the
University of Maryland is leading the way.
Instead of cracking open your chest, we go
between the ribs on the right side using a
robot through a maximum two-centimeter
incision. The robotic platform eliminates the
need to cut or break any bones or ribs,”
says Dr. Zapata.
“With the median sternotomy surgery,
once the patient got home, there could
be no heavy lifting, driving, swimming or
flying for a minimum of six weeks. I now
have patients sending me photos of them
working out at the gym a week or two after
surgery or running two miles. It’s amazing,”
he adds.
In addition to a quicker recovery, Dr.
Zapata says that patients at UMMC also
benefit from a team-based approach where
interventional cardiologists and surgeons
work in tandem to delivery top-notch care
and proven results. At UMMC, mitral valve
repairs are very successful with approximately 90 percent of repaired valves still
working 20 years later.
“Patients who utilize the robotic surgery
return to work quickly as there is less pain,
a shorter stay in the hospital (usually about
three days), and there is no large scar on
your chest. Returning to work earlier is
important for many patients financially,” Dr.
Zapata says. Additionally, there is a lower
risk of wound complications and infections
by avoiding bone division.
“We perform a variety of tests, including a CT scan and an echocardiogram, to
ensure that the patient is a good candidate
for this procedure, but it’s almost perfect for
any patient who needs to repair or replace
a mitral valve, regardless of age,” he says.
Dr. Zapata aims to raise awareness in
the cardiology community of this option,
so he meets often with physicians and
interventional cardiologists to explain the
benefits of this procedure and the excellent
services available at UMMC.
“Any type of heart surgery can be scary
for a patient, but once we explain the
minimally invasive robotic surgery for mitral
valve repair or replacement, I see patients
breathe a little easier. In the end, they just
want to fix what’s wrong in their heart and
get back to living their lives.”
For more information or questions
regarding robotic cardiac surgery at
UMMC, or to be seen by a member of
the robotic cardiac surgical team,
please call 410-328-5842.
