Robotic heart surgery saves lives in half the time

CHARLOTTE — Kenneth Ruth is slowly getting back to who he once was just a few months removed from open-heart surgery.

The 49-year-old said it all started after he moved to Charlotte to be closer to his niece and nephew.

“I was starting to feel just like a little tired, a little exhausted throughout the day, and I thought that was fairly normal,” Ruth told Channel 9’s Damany Lewis. “I just thought that was a function of getting a little older.”

Ruth then made what he now calls the most important decision of life. He went to his primary care doctor who heard a heart murmur and sent him to a cardiologist. The diagnosis: his mitral valve, which is critical for blood flow to the heart, was failing.

“This seems like a much older problem, like somebody several years past me should be dealing with this,” Ruth said. " But apparently, it can be fairly common."

Dr. Jefferey Everett is a cardiovascular surgeon with Novant Health. He said patients would normally undergo traditional open-heart surgery, where doctors would crack open the chest cavity to repair the valve. However, Ruth was a perfect candidate for robotic mitral valve repair — a procedure Novant Health started performing just last spring.

Previously, patients would have to travel to Columbia, South Carolina, for the procedure. Now, with the help of doctors, a robot makes small incisions in the chest to repair the valve. The major benefit of the procedure is patients stay in the hospital only half as long, and recovery is a lot quicker.

“It is still a recovery,” Ruth said. “I can’t engage in a lot of physical activity yet without feeling tired, but I can do all of the things that I could do before.”

Ruth is taking it one step at a time. His advice to anyone who isn’t feeling like themselves — don’t put your health on hold.

“Keep the appointments, go see your doctor, get everything checked out, make sure you’re in good shape because you might catch something that you don’t know is serious,” he said.

Dr. Everett also encourages people to advocate for themselves. Ask your cardiologist if you could be a candidate for this robotic surgery. You can even request a referral to a surgeon, who can evaluate your case.