Changing the Paradigm of Valve Surgery: Repair or Replace?

The most pressing question facing cardiac valve surgery is whether to undergo a replacement or repair procedure. Though outcomes of valve reconstruction are, in many cases, proving notably better than valve replacement, it is estimated that only a small majority of potential candidates are undergoing the valve repair. How can we reconcile this discrepancy—one that would appear to be placing our patients at greater risk? Host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill welcomes Dr. Randolph Chitwood, professor and chair of cardiovascular surgery at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, founding director of the East Carolina Heart Institute in Greenville, North Carolina, and one of the earliest pioneers of these procedures, to share his perspective on the current state of robot-assisted valvular surgery. Dr. Chitwood also takes a moment to peer into the future of cardiac surgery, anticipating what we'll see from the field of robotics in the years to come.