ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Surgeons at Corewell Health in Metro Detroit have performed what the health system says is the world’s first documented single-port robotic mitral valve repair, a breakthrough they believe could help make heart surgery less invasive for some patients.
The procedure was performed on 60-year-old Patrick O’Brien of Royal Oak, who became the first documented patient to undergo the technique.
Instead of the traditional open-heart approach, which requires opening the chest through the breastbone, surgeons repaired O’Brien’s mitral valve using a robotic system through two small incisions.
For decades, repairing a damaged mitral valve typically required open-heart surgery and a lengthy recovery.
The new approach uses one robotic access port and one utility port, reducing the number of entry points compared with conventional robotic mitral valve surgery.
“We’ve taken five robotic ports to perform complex mitral valve repair and shrunk it down to one robotic access port, plus one utility port,” said Corewell Health William Beaumont University Dr. Rakesh Suri. “It’s truly remarkable. We’re seeing the future of heart surgery evolve right in front of us.”
Doctors say the minimally invasive technique is designed to reduce trauma while giving surgeons a detailed view inside the heart through a flexible camera.
Fewer access points may mean less pain, less bleeding, and a faster recovery for eligible patients.
For O’Brien, the procedure came after a deeply personal decision to prioritize his health following the death of his wife from cancer.
“Through that process, it made me rethink my kids and wanting to be there for them,” O’Brien said. “I’m trying really hard to do the things that she wanted me to do. And that was number one.”
According to Corewell Health, O’Brien was walking within hours of surgery and was discharged from the hospital after four days.
“Having the opportunity to not have open-heart surgery, traditionally with your sternum cut open, and the long recovery time and the chance for complications and infections was just a really exciting opportunity for me,” O’Brien said. “I jumped at the chance.”
Doctors caution that the procedure will not replace every form of heart surgery, and not all patients are candidates.
However, they say it represents another step toward less invasive cardiac care with the goal of shortening recovery times and helping patients return to normal activities sooner.
The health system plans to continue evaluating the procedure as it expands its use in appropriately selected patients.