Heart healed with remote-controlled robot

A retired British man had his irregular heart rhythm restored by a remote-controlled robot, doctors say.

Lead surgeon Dr. André Ng, a senior lecturer in cardiovascular sciences at the University of Leicester and consultant cardiologist, was the first in the world to carry out the common heart procedure remotely using the system, the university said.

The patient, Kenneth Crocker, 70, had an irregular heartbeat. Using the sophisticated robot arm called a Remote Catheter Manipulation System, surgeons inserted thin wire catheters into blood vessels at the top of the groin and then threaded them up into the heart's chambers.

Electrodes on the catheters recorded and stimulated different areas of the heart to help doctors determine the cause of the heart rhythm problem. Once the troubled area was found, a catheter was placed to ablate or burn the tissue to correct the problem.

Catheter ablation has been used for 20 years on patients suffering palpitations because of disturbed heart rhythms.

Normally, doctors must stand over the patient with heavy protective equipment as X-rays are constantly taken to guide the wire into place.

With the new robot, the doctor can sit in an adjacent room, without the need for a lead apron, and control the metal wire using a joystick and monitors.

"The benefit of the robotics system to the patient is that movement of the catheter could be done with great precision," Ng said.

The equipment for the Remote Catheter Manipulation System was donated by a U.S. company to carry out trials at the University of Leicester. If human studies prove successful, it's hoped the technique can be used in more complex operations.