Ronie Williams does not mind showing her four surgical scars to other patients in her cardiac rehab group.
Hers are a lot smaller than theirs – even though everyone has had heart surgery. “They can see the scars and can’t believe that’s all I have,” she said.
The 52-year-old from Grawn is back to activity and caring for her grandson following minimally invasive mitral valve repair to her heart using the da Vinci Surgical System®.
Cardiothoracic surgeon Bobby Kong, M.D., recently implemented a program at Munson Medical Center to use the device for mitral valve repair after having performed the surgery more than 40 times while practicing surgery in Ann Arbor. He has done five of the procedures in Traverse City.
“Patients like the operation because the incision is smaller. We make small incisions on the right side of the chest, and we do not have to divide any bony structure,” he said. “The incision is a lot more cosmetic, risk of infection is lower, and there is less pain, too. Because there is less trauma to the body, recovery is faster.”
Mitral valve leakage allows blood that normally flows from one chamber to another in the heart to leak backward. About 22,000 mitral valve surgeries are performed every year nationally – with about 10 percent done less invasively utilizing “the robot.”
During the procedure, five small incisions are made into the right side of the body for placement of three robotic arms, an 8 mm camera that serves as the device’s eye, and a working port for exchange of instruments and sutures. The three-dimensional image from the camera gives Dr. Kong a sharp and 10-times magnified view of the mitral valve. With the patient’s circulation supported by a heart-lung bypass machine, and the heart stopped, the diseased mitral valve is “sliced and diced” into a well-functioning valve again. An artificial “ring” is usually sutured around the repaired valve to enhance its durability.
To qualify for the surgery, the patient’s mitral valve must prove to have significant leakage by a trans-esophageal echocardiogram (TEE). The patient also requires a CT scan to ensure that the he or she is suitable for this less invasive surgery.
Williams learned of her mitral valve issue after she felt sharp pain in her chest while on the job at an assisted care facility. She has high praise for the care she received from Dr. Kong and the nurses on the hospital’s cardiothoracic floor.
“It was wonderful,” she said. “All the nurses that were on my floor were ‘fantabulous.’ They were great, great nurses.'"
Dr. Kong currently is the only cardiothoracic surgeon in northern Michigan using a da Vinci Surgical System for less-invasive mitral valve repair. He said he enjoys seeing the results in his patients. In addition to Williams, he recalls many patients who return to work or daily activity quicker and who are pleased with the results.
“When the patient recovers well and comes back to see you and tells you they are a month out of surgery and already doing pushups – that is very satisfying,” Dr. Kong said.
More information on Munson Healthcare cardiovascular services can be found at munsonhealthcare.org/heartservices.