BIRMINGHAM, AL ---- Dr. C. Duane Randleman, cardiothoracic surgeon, successfully performed the first robotic mitral valve repair in Alabama on Monday.  Dr. Randleman used the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System at Trinity Medical Center, an affiliate of Baptist Health System, to perform the surgery. 

“This is a new era in the evolution of heart surgery because we can now perform more complex operations without opening the chest,” said Randleman. 

Recent evidence suggests that earlier surgical intervention, particularly if repair is possible, may prevent irreversible damage to the heart.

Robotic-assisted minimally invasive cardiovascular procedures avoid the drawbacks of traditional heart surgery.

“The patient is the one who truly benefits from this minimally invasive surgery,” explains Randleman.  “Use of the da Vinci system means no sternal incisions, decreases in blood loss; quicker recovery time; less pain, scarring and discomfort; less invasive care; shorter hospital stays; reduced risks of infection; reduced trauma to the body; faster recovery and quicker return to normal activities.”

Mitral valve repair is an open-heart procedure performed by cardiothoracic surgeons to treat stenosis (narrowing) or regurgitation (leakage) of the mitral valve.  The mitral valve is the “inflow valve” for the left side of the heart.  Blood flows from the lungs, where it picks up oxygen, and into the heart through the mitral valve.  When it opens, the mitral valve allows blood to flow into the heart’s main pumping chamber called the left ventricle.  It then closes to keep blood from leaking back into the lungs when the ventricle contracts (squeezes) to push blood out to the body. 

If the mitral valve leaks, blood flows backwards into the lungs.  The ventricle must therefore pump more blood with each contraction to produce the same forward output of blood throughout the body.  This resulting condition is called a volume overload.  The heart can compensate for this volume overload for many months or years but it eventually begins to fail producing symptoms of shortness of breath or fatigue.

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Using the da Vinci Surgical System gives the surgeon a 3D, 10 times magnified view of the operating field, which provides an excellent view of delicate tissue and organs.  The instruments are designed to be able to mimic the movements of the surgeon’s hands and wrists, giving him excellent flexibility and control when operating on delicate tissue.

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ABOUT TRINITY MEDICAL CENTER

Trinity Medical Center (formerly Montclair Baptist) is a 560-bed, tertiary care hospital located in Birmingham, AL.  The hospital opened its doors in 1966 as a replacement facility for the Highland Avenue Baptist Hospital.

Today, Trinity Medical Center offers programs and services in all medical and surgical areas.  This includes cardiology, oncology, neurology, women’s health, mental health, digestive diseases, geriatrics, physical medicine and rehab, sports medicine and emergency care.  There are more than 600 physicians on the Trinity medical staff representing 30 specialties and subspecialties.

In 2005, a Joint Venture between Baptist Health System and Triad Hospitals, Inc. was formed to address the capital needs of Trinity Medical Center.  Triad assumed 65% ownership and managing-partner status of the hospital with Baptist Health System retaining 35% ownership.