How Robotic Heart Surgery Can Speed Recovery

July 20, 2026

A surgeon manipulates the controls of a robot that operates a patient

Heart surgeries are increasingly being performed with robotic technology. This can mean smaller incisions, fewer complications and faster recovery times for patients. Compared with the open-heart surgeries of the past, robotic procedures typically allow patients to get back to their normal activities sooner.

“For example, if a patient had open-heart surgery and they want to get back to playing golf, they may need to wait a month before they can play comfortably,” says Pablo Ruda Vega, MD, a robotic cardiac surgeon, Director of the Cardiac Surgery Network and Co-Director of the Coronary Center at University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute. “If we do a robotic surgery procedure, the same patient can be playing golf in a week or two, or a few weeks at the most.”

What Is Robotic Heart Surgery?

Robotic heart surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery that is performed on the heart with the assistance of a robot. The robot is controlled by a surgeon who specializes in cardio robotic procedures.

“It's important for patients to understand that the robot is not working independently of us,” says Dr. Ruda Vega. “It’s a tool that enhances what we can do and it makes our movements easier, but the main advantage is that we can do the same surgery as an open-heart with a less invasive approach.”

How It Works

The surgeon uses a console to control robotic arms equipped with tiny surgical instruments and a high-definition 3D camera. This allows them to maneuver the robotic arms into the chest through small incisions between the ribs. “It’s kind of like how you use a joystick to control what’s happening in a video game,” says Dr. Ruda Vega.

Unlike with most open-heart surgeries, it’s not necessary to open up the whole chest with a sternotomy (a long incision that cuts through the center of the chest and breastbone). “We’re able to make either a series of small holes or we make the small holes plus another small incision on the chest called a mini-thoracotomy, and otherwise do the same surgery and get the same long-term results,” says Dr. Ruda Vega.

Benefits of Robotics for Heart Surgery

A robotic surgery may take a little longer than open-heart surgery, but the recovery time for patients tends to be notably shorter. Potential benefits of robotic heart surgery commonly include:

Less invasive surgery that patients tend to tolerate better.
Small incisions that heal faster than large ones.
Minimal scarring.
Less pain during recovery because the breastbone remains intact.
Lower risk of post-surgical complications, such as infections or bleeding.
Shorter hospital stay – instead of a week, it’s about half that time.
Some robotic heart surgeries can be performed without a heart-lung machine, which may help reduce the risk of stroke and certain neurological complications.

What Heart Conditions Can Be Treated?

The number of heart conditions that can be treated with robotic heart surgery is growing. The three most common robot-assisted heart surgeries are:

“Those three make up about 90 to 95% of the procedures we do, and then we also treat some myxomas – those are benign tumors inside the heart,” says Dr. Ruda Vega. “We do several robotic heart procedures each week and we’re adding new surgeries all the time.”

But to be a good candidate for robotic heart surgery, you need to be a good candidate for surgery in the first place, he says. “You should be stable enough for elective surgery and have a favorable chest anatomy.” Because the surgeon needs to be able to safely access your heart through your ribcage with the robotic tools, your chest needs to be a suitable size and shape with adequate space between the ribs.

You may not be a good candidate for robotic heart surgery if you have:

Diabetes, hepatic liver failure or another complex or severe disease.
Had previous open-heart surgery, chest surgery or chest trauma.
A body that’s very obese.
A heart condition that can’t yet be treated with a robotic approach.

Your doctor will do diagnostic tests to help determine whether robotic heart surgery may be right for you.

What Are the Risks?

Because it’s less invasive, robotic heart surgery tends to have fewer risks than open-heart surgery. Risks may include:

Heart attack
Stroke
Loss of blood
Anesthesia-related complications
Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
A need to switch to open-heart surgery if the procedure can’t be completed with the robot
Infection
Death

A Growing Choice

The number of robotic heart surgeries is only going to go up, says Dr. Ruda Vega. As more surgeons get trained and new techniques and surgical treatments become available, robot-assisted surgeries will be recommended to more and more patients.

“Younger surgeons tend to be very comfortable using the robotic tools, especially in cardiac surgery,” he says. “It’s becoming the mainstream way of doing surgery in many specialties, from urology and OB-GYN to thoracic surgery.

Hybrid treatments that combine traditional surgical approaches with robotic ones are also becoming more common, he notes. “We do some sort of hybrid approach for about 20% of our patients receiving robotic coronary bypass surgeries,” says Dr. Ruda Vega. “The more we can offer robotic heart surgeries and hybrid approaches, the more patients we can help.”