Publications by authors named "Husam Balkhy"

Article Synopsis
  • The video tutorial explains robotic totally endoscopic Cryo-Maze ablation, a surgical procedure used to treat atrial fibrillation.
  • It involves using advanced robotic technology to perform the procedure with minimal invasiveness.
  • The surgery is conducted under moderate hypothermic ventricular fibrillatory arrest to enhance patient safety and effectiveness of the treatment.
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Article Synopsis
  • Myocardial bridges (MB) are common vascular abnormalities but only a fraction relate to chest pain (angina); this study aimed to investigate coexisting conditions that might cause symptoms in patients with MB.
  • Conducted at the University of Chicago, the study included 30 patients with MB experiencing chest pain, testing for various types of coronary spasm and coronary microvascular dysfunction using specific medical tests.
  • Findings revealed that 60% had endothelium-independent coronary microvascular dysfunction, 29% had microvascular spasm, and 37% had epicardial spasm, with most patients showing at least one of these abnormalities regardless of whether the MB was deemed hemodynamically significant.
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Objective: Totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB) procedures pose significant challenges, motivating the development of Octocon, an automated endoscopic connector designed for coronary anastomoses in off-pump and endoscopic settings. This feasibility study aimed to assess Octocon's functionality and maneuverability in closed-chest conditions during robot-assisted TECAB simulations.

Methods: The Octocon deployment comprises a 3-step procedure.

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Objective: We created and validated a low-cost simulation model for robotic internal mammary artery (IMA) takedown.

Methods: The simulation model utilized a calf fetus thorax cavity stented open internally and secured to a table. The simulation model was validated at a 2-day robotic cardiac surgery workshop.

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Objective: Myocardial bridging (MB) occurs when a coronary artery, commonly the left anterior descending (LAD), has an intramyocardial course. In symptomatic patients who fail medical therapy, surgical unroofing can provide symptomatic relief by improving coronary blood flow. We present a series of patients undergoing robotic totally endoscopic beating-heart MB unroofing.

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Background: The purpose of this review is to provide recommendations for cardiac surgeons interested in adopting a robotic platform into their programs.

Methods: The recommendations are based on the experience of the authors and cover a diverse array of cardiac surgical procedures that are currently performed with robotic assistance. The focus, as with any innovative surgical approach, is to ensure patient safety, maximize quality and efficacy, and set realistic expectations about what is required to achieve proficiency in robotic cardiac surgery.

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Surgical robots have been utilized to facilitate a truly minimally invasive approach in cardiac surgery. Robotic aortic valve replacement allows for a totally endoscopic approach with better visualization in a wider range of patients with varying anatomies. It has the potential advantages of faster functional recovery and superior cosmetic outcomes compared to traditional sternotomy or thoracotomy approaches.

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Article Synopsis
  • A group of heart surgeons and doctors met to talk about how to improve a special type of heart surgery called minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS).
  • They want to make sure the surgery uses smaller cuts to make recovery easier for patients while still achieving good results.
  • They believe that to get the best results from MICS, there should be three key parts: smaller surgical cuts, proper care of the heart during surgery, and a program called Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) that helps patients heal better afterward.
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Background: In 2013, we initiated a comprehensive multispectrum robotic cardiac surgery program with emphasis on the totally endoscopic approach. We reviewed the outcomes of mitral valve (MV) procedures within this context.

Methods: A retrospective review of 1714 robotic endoscopic cardiac surgeries performed at our institution between September 2013 and February 2024 was conducted.

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Background: Multi-arterial grafting (MAG) with bilateral internal thoracic arteries (BITAs) is superior to single internal thoracic artery (ITA) and veins, however, sternal wound infection (SWI) is a deterrent to using BITA, especially in diabetic and obese patients. Sternal-sparing approaches, including robotic totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB), may mitigate this risk. We reviewed outcomes of robotic TECAB with BITA grafting.

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Objective: Robotic beating-heart totally endoscopic coronary bypass (TECAB) is performed using single or bilateral internal thoracic arteries with good results. Despite slow adoption and limited industry support, we have evolved our practice and continue to routinely perform TECAB. We describe our series of 874 patients undergoing robotic beating-heart TECAB with up to 10-year follow-up.

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Unlabelled: A 56-year-old female diagnosed with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and myocardial bridge (MB) of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery underwent septal myectomy with resolution of her left ventricular outflow tract gradient. She had ongoing refractory symptoms of exertional angina and fatigue for over a decade and finally presented to our clinic to be re-evaluated for treatment. Provocative angiographic testing confirmed significant ischemia secondary to LAD MB.

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Objective: There can be anatomical constraints on patient selection for minimally invasive surgery. For example, robot-assisted coronary artery bypass was reported to be more challenging when patients had a cardiothoracic ratio >50% and a sternum-vertebra anteroposterior and transverse diameter ratio <0.45.

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Objective: Femoral artery cannulation is the most commonly used approach for cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in robotic cardiac procedures. However, without adding a distal perfusion cannula, leg ischemia can occur in up to 11.5% of patients.

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