A heart surgery performed by robots is believed to have been successful in a world-first.
The incredible feat was performed in Saudi Arabia at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC).
The surgery took two-and-a-half hours and was performed on a 16-year-old suffering from end stage heart failure, reports Need To Know.
Led by Dr Feras Khaliel, the planning for the procedure included multiple virtual simulations to ensure precision, with the team undergoing seven practice attempts over the course of three days.
The operation has been described as “minimally invasive”, with a robotic technique that avoided opening the patient’s chest.
This increases the chance of a faster recovery and fewer complications compared to more traditional methods.
One reason the patient was selected was due to their request not to open their chest during the procedure.
Dr Majid Al Fayyad, CEO of the hospital, hailed the operation as a major advancement since the first heart transplant in the 1960s.
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