Work

Evaluating the Efficacy of Automated Suturing Technology for Bentall Procedures in a Passive Beating Heart Model

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The Bentall procedure is a well-established surgical technique for managing aortic root disease involving the ascending aorta and aortic valve. The use of automated suturing technology may facilitate ergonomic, reliable suture placement, especially in minimally invasive approaches. Here we present the results of a study to evaluate the feasibility of using automated suturing technology for Bentall procedures in an ex vivo porcine model using a passive beating heart simulator. METHODS: = 10). A Bentall procedure was performed on each heart, with the subject automated suturing technology used in place of manual suturing in the first cohort. After the procedure, each heart was tested in a passive beating heart testing simulator under increasingly challenging hemodynamic conditions (80, 100, and 120 mm Hg); any fluid leakage at the proximal anastomosis was quantified. Data were analyzed using nonparametric statistical tests. RESULTS: > 0.05), indicating that the study technology appears to be feasible and effective for placing sutures in Bentall procedures. Correlation analysis indicated a moderate positive relationship between aortic pressure and leakage in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The subject automated suturing technology demonstrated comparable performance to manual suturing in ex vivo Bentall procedures, with no significantly different leakage across a range of increasing aortic pressures.

Source: Innovations Technology and Techniques in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery

DOI: 10.1177/15569845251407558