REVOLUTION IN SERBIAN CARDIAC SURGERY: The first robotic heart operation in the Balkans performed at the Dedinje Institute
This procedure marks a new era in cardiac surgery in the region, where robotic technology brings faster recovery, safer procedures, and advances domestic medicine to a global level.
At The Dedinje Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases, the first robotic heart operation was performed today on a 77-year-old patient – a minimally invasive coronary intervention, representing a pioneering procedure not only for Serbia but for the entire Balkans. Until now, such procedures have been performed only in Italy and Poland.
A live broadcast of the operation was shown in the new amphitheatre “Dedinje 2”. The operation was carried out using the Microport Medbot robot, manufactured in China, which is in clinical use in almost all countries worldwide except the USA. This significant breakthrough in domestic medicine was performed by cardiac surgeons Clinical Assistant Dr Miroslav Miličić and Clinical Assistant Dr Bogdan Okiljević, with expert supervision and mentorship by Professor Piotr Suwalski, the physician with the highest number of robotic cardiac procedures performed in Europe. He will continue to be a key expert consultant in the development and implementation of robotic surgery at the Institute, with plans for the full introduction of this method in Serbia.
Assistant Professor Dr Bogdan Okiljević, cardiac surgeon, together with colleague Clinical Assistant Dr Miroslav Miličić, took part in this operation
“This is a historic operation, not only because it is being performed for the first time in Serbia and the Balkans, but also because it is an established principle and standard in cardiovascular medicine, which began to be introduced into cardiac surgical practice as early as 1999. It has secured its place as a standard procedure, and in the reconstructed Dedinje 1 facility we will have our operating theatre for robotic surgery,” said Academician Professor Milovan M. Bojić, Director of The Dedinje Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases.
Professor Milovan M. Bojić, Director of The Dedinje Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases;
Professor Bojić also explained why this procedure is significant for patients.
“The benefits of this procedure are a smaller incision, less pain, less bleeding, fewer infections, and a shorter hospital stay. This technology is the future, a true marvel of engineering. Professor Suwalski, who has performed the largest number of such operations in Europe, told me how he successfully performs operations from Warsaw while the patient is in Modena. We have divided teams that will be trained in Warsaw. Professor Suwalski is also the official consultant of the Dedinje Institute. This will be a standard procedure that will be performed in the future at the Institute. For now, it is predominantly bypass surgery, that is, surgical revascularisation of the heart muscle, followed by mitral valve surgery and heart tumours. Of course, work is already under way on developing the use of robotic cardiac surgery for aortic valve surgery. We will follow everything new, and all upgrades will be present here as well.”
To begin with, myocardial revascularisation using a robot will be performed, and within a year or two full implementation of robotic surgery is expected.
“We are currently at a level where between 30 and 35% of the total number of 3,000 operations are minimally invasive procedures. To start with, we will perform myocardial revascularisation with the help of a robot, and I hope that in a year or two we will have full implementation of robotic surgery for repair and replacement of aortic valves, closure of defects within the cardiac septa, and benign heart tumours,” said Assistant Professor Slobodan Mićović, MD, PhD, cardiac surgeon.
The course of the operation was guided for those present by Assistant Professor Slobodan Mićović, MD, PhD, cardiac surgeon
The strategic goal of developing this method is the introduction of the concept of day surgery, whereby patients could be admitted and discharged on the same day after a cardiac intervention.
The application of robotic surgery enables less invasive procedures, faster and easier postoperative recovery, and greater precision and efficiency of operations.
“Our goal is, together with our colleagues from anaesthesiology, to wake patients already in the operating theatre, so that on the first and second day they are already fully recovered and able to return to their loved ones. This intervention is performed on a beating heart, that is, without the use of a heart-lung machine. Not a single movement during the operation takes place independently of the surgeon. The first part of the operation lasts about 20 minutes, and the final suturing takes around 15 minutes.”
The event was also attended by Dr Zlatibor Lončar, Minister of Health.
“The Dedinje Clinic is moving to a new level that will distinguish it from most other clinics by what it does and how it does it. In the coming year, Serbia will move to a level at which operations assisted by robots will be performed. We waited to see at the European level which robots were among the best so that we could procure them. In the coming weeks, we will begin equipping premium centres and training not only our doctors but doctors from the entire region. We are now ready, within the next year to a year and a bit, to equip all our clinics and train staff so that these become routine procedures that will be performed.”
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