Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic replaced heart valves through a small neck incision using robotic assistance, avoiding the need to open the chest.
Four patients have so far undergone the procedure, called transcervical robotic access for aortic valve replacement, and were discharged within days, with one even resuming gym workouts just a week after surgery.
The procedure is being performed exclusively at the Cleveland Clinic for now, but the team hopes to standardize it for use at other highly specialized centers. It could redefine what is possible for heart surgery.
Read the article on Interesting Engineering.
Sources:
• TLDR. (2025, July 25). TLDR Newsletter. https://a.tldrnewsletter.com/web-version?ep=1&lc=f5cb7e17-003d-11ed-9258-0241b9615763&p=2e7b5d28-692a-11f0-b835-3db36ffea3ac&pt=campaign&t=1753441048&s=a14bf86d633d4be953fe2c165deb3428d686e017277d7ca7edd7315783c14d77
• Walter, N. (2025, July 24). Robotic neck incision replaces heart valve with no chest opening in world first. Interesting Engineering. https://interestingengineering.com/health/robotic-heart-surgery-neck-valve-replacement
