Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026

Benefits of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in an Asynchronous Heart Failure Model Induced by Left Bundle Branch Ablation and Rapid Pacing
Published on: December 11, 2017
Minimally invasive robotically assisted repair of atrial perforation from a pacemaker lead
Sara Hussain1, Corey Adams, Alexis Mechulan
1College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Background:
We present the first reported case of robotic-assisted right atrial perforation repair and pacemaker lead extraction.
Methods:
A 75-year-old female with symptomatic sinus node dysfunction underwent atrial single chamber permanent pacemaker insertion via a persistent left superior vena cava approach. At one week follow-up a chest radiograph and a computerized dynamic tomography demonstrated that the right atrial lead had perforated the right atrial free wall. The patient remained asymptomatic without signs of pericardial tamponade, however urgent repair was warranted.
Results:
Utilizing the da Vinci robotic system (Intuitive Surgical Inc., Sunnyvale, California, USA), the pacer lead perforation was visualized, the lead retracted, and the right atrium repaired. The existing atrial lead was repositioned in the right atrial appendage.
Conclusion:
The patient's postoperative convalescence was uneventful, and she was discharged home on the third post-operative day. This case demonstrates the increasing clinical utilization of robotic-assisted technology in minimally invasive cardiac surgery.

