American surgeons performed the first fully robotic heart transplant without opening the chest.

Surgeons have successfully performed the first fully robotic heart transplant without opening the chest. The historic procedure was performed at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston, Texas, on a 45-year-old man suffering from advanced heart failure.

The patient had been in the hospital since November 2024 and required several mechanical devices to maintain heart function. Instead of opening the chest cavity, doctors used a surgical robot that made small incisions and passed through the peritoneum without cutting the sternum.

The patient received his new heart in early March 2025. After the operation, he spent a month in the hospital before returning home. It is known that the man has already been allowed to resume physical activity and even drive a car. During the procedure, a robotic arm equipped with surgical instruments and a 3D camera was used, which was controlled by the surgeon using a joystick and pedals.

This approach allows doctors to operate on a patient without the need for any physical contact. This landmark procedure in the US took place after surgeons in Saudi Arabia performed the world’s first fully robotic heart transplant on a 16-year-old patient with progressive heart failure in 2024. This marks a significant step forward in transplant surgery, combining robotic precision with one of the most complex procedures in medicine.

“Opening the chest and damaging the sternum can affect wound healing, delay rehabilitation, and prolong recovery time, especially in heart transplant patients who receive immunosuppressive therapy,” says Kenneth Liao, lead surgeon and director of the medical center’s cardiothoracic transplant program. “With the robotic approach, we preserve the integrity of the chest wall, which reduces the risk of infection and helps with early recovery of mobility, respiratory function, and overall recovery.”