Dr. Fernando Lamounier joined Heart Center of the Rockies in August, 2006, andperforms robotic-assisted surgery. Dr. Lamounier did his residency at the University of Connecticut's Hartford Hospital, one of the nation's major medical centers for performing laparoscopic surgery, a technique that helps surgeons hone their skills for using robotic surgical systems. After Hartford Hospital and before joining the Heart Center of the Rockies, Dr. Lamounier went through a 2-year fellowship at Loyola University Health System, Chicago, a medical institution nationally recognized for its specialty in cardiovascular surgery and cardiology. Dr. Lamounier's surgical experience includes procedures commonly needed to be performed in heart patients with mitral valve repair an area of expertise.
Dr. Lamounier performs cardiac robotic surgery at Medical Center of the Rockies, the new hospital in Loveland. Robotic surgery is performed with the highly sophisticated daVinci "S"surgical system which consists of four robotic arms controlled by a computerized console.
During a robotic procedure, the surgeon makes three or four dime-sized incisions in the patient's chest, between the ribs, and inserts a robotic arm through each opening. One of the arms holds a camera with 10X magnification, and the other three hold microsurgical instruments with the same full range of motion as the surgeon's wrist and hand. The surgeon then sits at a console a few feet from the patient and remotely, very precisely and in real-time, operates the instruments. Traditionally, the term "open heart surgery" means that the surgeon has to cut the breastbone vertically down the middle and spread the ribcage apart to be able to get his hands and instruments on the heart. Patients with full sternal incisions typically spend 5-7 nights in the hospital and when they return home, generally aren't allowed to drive, lift anything that weighs more than a few pounds, or return to work for 6-8 weeksófollowed by an extended "light activity" restriction period. The incision is also very painful for weeks.
Robotic cardiac and lung surgery patients, on the other hand, recover much more quickly from the three or four dime-sized incisions between their ribs. The hospital stay is only 2 or 3 days and they are able to return to work and normal activities much sooner. They also report experiencing almost no pain.
Robotic cardiothoracic surgeries at MCR
- Mitral valve repair
- Atrial septal defect repair
- Single-vessel coronary artery bypass
- Myxoma and other cardiac and esophageal tumor removal
- Thymectomy for myasthenia gravis
- Lung tumor removal
- Smaller incisions; no sternotomy required
- Less pain
- Lower risk of infection
- Shorter hospital stay
- Faster recovery