Corewell Health has successfully performed the world’s first documented single-port robotic mitral valve repair, marking a major milestone in the evolution of minimally invasive heart surgery.
Patrick O’Brien, 60, of Royal Oak, became the first patient to undergo the procedure.
A lifelong Corewell Health patient, O’Brien sought treatment after his long-standing heart murmur began causing heart palpitations and chose to have his leaking mitral valve repaired before the condition worsened.
“I watched my dad go through two open-heart surgeries in the 1980s, and the recovery was long and difficult,” says O’Brien. “Less than a week after my procedure, I’m already back to many of my normal activities.”
The advancement allows patients with severe mitral valve regurgitation, a serious heart valve leak, to recover more quickly and experience less pain, with some patients returning home as soon as three days after surgery.
The team adapted the established procedure to a single-port approach with a second small access incision, replacing the traditional five-port technique and further reducing tissue disruption.
“For two decades, we’ve worked to make heart surgery safer and less invasive,” says Dr. Rakesh M. Suri, regional director of cardiac surgery robotics and innovation at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital in Royal Oak.
“With single-port robotic surgery, we can now repair the heart through one small robotic port and a tiny access incision — streamlining the procedure, reducing complexity, and enhancing safety — ultimately delivering a better experience and better outcomes for patients.”
Mitral valve regurgitation affects an estimated 3 percent to 5 percent of the population and, if left untreated, can lead to heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and premature death.
Corewell Health’s Royal Oak program reports it specializes in repair-first strategies, achieving a repair rate greater than 99 percent the past two years while providing patients access to advanced imaging, comprehensive evaluation, and a multidisciplinary team dedicated to valve disease.
“This is a groundbreaking moment — not just for Corewell Health, but for patients like Patrick O’Brien,” says Lamont Yoder, president of Corewell Health in Southeast Michigan. “We are continuously challenging ourselves to think differently and use our expertise to improve the patient experience.
“Innovations like this strengthen our position as a leader in advanced cardiac care and help establish Corewell Health as a destination for patients across the Midwest and beyond.”
O’Brien added, “I decided it was time to take care of my own health after losing my wife to cancer last fall, and I’m grateful I did. This procedure has given me a new lease on life. I’ve always joked about winning the lottery one day, but being given a second chance at life feels even better. I couldn’t be more grateful to Dr. Suri and his team.”
Corewell Health is a not-for-profit health system that provides health care and coverage with a team of 60,000-plus people — including more than 12,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and more than 16,000 nurses providing care and services in 21 hospitals, 300-plus outpatient locations, and several post-acute facilities.
It also encompasses Priority Health, a provider-sponsored health plan serving more than 1.3 million members.
For more information about Corewell Health’s cardiovascular services, visit here.
