Building a Cardiac Surgical Robotic Program

The development of a successful robotic cardiac surgical program requires both a close association and synergy between many hospital personnel. The thought often is that the major components include only the lead surgeon and operating room staff. However, cooperation among many other individuals is essential for ideal program development. Other programmatic considerations relate to economic commitments, clinical synergy, and cardiology support as well as the firm belief that robotic surgery is advantageous to patients. This chapter describes a step-wise approach for beginning a vibrant and safe robotic cardiac surgical program. Herein, serial guidelines are suggested as these strategies have been shown to be effective for success for many programs. The importance of team synergy and group training cannot be over emphasized prior to deploying a robotic surgical program.