Surgeons make history, perform world’s first fully robotic heart transplant

A heart team at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSHRC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, made a bit of history, completing the world’s first fully robotic heart transplant.

The procedure, which lasted roughly two and half hours, was performed on a 16-year-old patient with end-stage heart failure. One reason this patient was selected was the fact that he had specifically requested the heart team not open his chest. 

Cardiac surgeon Feras Khaliel, MD, PhD, led the transplant, practicing with his team seven times over the course of three days to prepare. 

According to KFSHRC, one of the primary benefits of using these advanced robotic technologies for cardiac procedures is that they can significantly reduce recovery times. Robotic procedures can be less invasive, even for something as complex as a heart transplant, which allows patients to recover more quickly and get back to their day-to-day lives. Robotic heart transplants also offer the potential of reducing complication risks and improving the patient’s quality of life, the hospital added.