USA Health surgeon completes first-in-area heart procedure performed robotically
“For patients whose surgical and medical history limits traditional treatment options, this approach can provide a safe, effective alternative,” said cardiothoracic surgeon Parker Mullen, M.D. “It’s exciting to bring this to our region and expand access to innovative cardiothoracic care close to home.”
By Carol McPhail
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A cardiothoracic surgeon at USA Health recently performed a surgical procedure to seal off the left atrial appendage in a patient’s heart with a clip – the first such procedure in the area to be performed robotically.
The surgeon, Parker Mullen, M.D., said the precision of robot-assisted surgery using the da Vinci Xi enabled him and his team at USA Health Providence Hospital to address the patient’s atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm disorder, which could not be treated with more traditional methods because of the patient’s health history.
“This patient presented a real challenge for other minimally invasive options given their prior heart surgery. Performing this procedure robotically allowed us to operate with an exceptional level of precision while minimizing the impact on the patient,” said Mullen, who also serves as an assistant professor of surgery at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama. “For patients whose surgical and medical history limits traditional treatment options, this approach can provide a safe, effective alternative. It’s exciting to bring this to our region and expand access to innovative cardiothoracic care close to home.”
In the operating room, a surgeon controls the da Vinci Xi robot’s four tiny instruments from a console using magnified views of the surgery site. Robotic instruments move like a human hand but with greater precision and a greater range of motion. The benefits of robotic surgery include a shortened length of hospital stay, less blood loss, reduced complications, and less post-operative pain.
USA Health, which has six da Vinci Xi robots and one da Vinci SP robot, launched its robotic thoracic surgery program in December 2025. When the program was announced, surgeons said the da Vinci Xi could be used for lung, mediastinal (chest cavity) and esophageal surgery.
“Our goal is to be the academic referral center for the region for thoracic procedures,” Mullen said in the announcement.
The da Vinci robots have also been used in abdominal hernia, esophageal, gastrointestinal, colonic, hiatal hernia, cancer, urologic and gynecologic surgeries across the health system.
