Anesthetic issues for robotic cardiac surgery

As innovative technology continues to be developed and is implemented into the realm of cardiac surgery, surgical teams, cardiothoracic anesthesiologists, and health centers are constantly looking for methods to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction. One of the more recent developments in cardiac surgical practice is minimally invasive robotic surgery. Its use has been documented in numerous publications, and its use has proliferated significantly over the past 15 years. The anesthesiology team must continue to develop and perfect special techniques to manage these patients perioperatively including lung isolation techniques and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). This review article of recent scientific data and personal experience serves to explain some of the challenges, which the anesthetic team must manage, including patient and procedural factors, complications from one-lung ventilation (OLV) including hypoxia and hypercapnia, capnothorax, percutaneous cannulation for cardiopulmonary bypass, TEE guidance, as well as methods of intraoperative monitoring and analgesia. As existing minimally invasive techniques are perfected, and newer innovations are demonstrated, it is imperative that the cardiothoracic anesthesiologist must improve and maintain skills to guide these patients safely through the robotic procedure.