China performs third robotic heart transplant
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Surgeons in China recently completed the world’s third heart transplant using robotic arms, performing the procedure on a 67-year-old man in Xi’an, Shaanxi province.
The surgery offered a less invasive alternative to traditional heart transplants, which require fully splitting the sternum, the bone in the chest, and can carry a 5 to 10 percent risk of short-term death. The patient, who had multiple health problems and could not lie flat, received the transplant on October 5.
Traditional heart transplants involve large incisions exceeding 20 centimeters and can lead to complications like bleeding and infection. In contrast, the robotic-assisted surgery used a single 8-centimeter incision between the ribs and two small trocar holes, avoiding the need to break the sternum. Doctors at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University used three-dimensional imaging and simulation drills to plan the surgery carefully.
The surgical team, led by Yan Yang, believes this minimally invasive approach is particularly beneficial for high-risk patients, such as the elderly or those with multiple underlying health conditions, who struggle to recover from conventional surgery. The patient was able to leave the ventilator the same day, a faster recovery than typical for heart transplant recipients, and is now walking daily with fully restored heart function.
Saudi Arabia and the United States performed the first and second robotic heart transplants in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
