Kenneth K. Liao, MD, Ph.D., Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center's Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Transplantation & Circulatory Support and the Lester and Sue Smith Endowed Chair at Baylor Medicine, performed his 300th robotic heart surgery in early March.
Led by Dr. Liao, the team at Texas Heart Institute at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center is focused on using state-of-the-art robotic technology to perform minimally invasive mitral valve repair and coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. The advanced robotic technology uses 3D high-definition scope and robot-controlled fine instruments inside the chest, which allows Dr. Liao to perform precise, gentle, and complex surgical maneuvers inside the heart. The advantages of robotic cardiac surgery include very small incisions through the rib space, less blood loss, lower risk of stroke and wound infection, and quicker recovery.
“This is a milestone for Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Heart Institute at Baylor St. Luke’s. Despite COVID challenges, our cutting-edge technology and excellent surgical outcomes have drawn patients and referring physicians from across the US and aboard. . It’s a humbling experience to see an increasing number of cardiologists outside St Luke’s health system referring their patients to us for robotic cardiac surgery for the benefits of their patients’ well being. They are very impressed by their patient's surgery outcome, and quick return to normal life.” said Dr. Liao.
Dr. Liao is among a handful of highly experienced robotic cardiac surgeons in the U.S. and the only cardiac surgeon in Greater Houston using the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System to treat valve and coronary disease. His robotic cardiac surgery program at Texas Heart Institute at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center is among the top 10 programs in the U.S. Since his arrival at Texas Heart Institute at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in 2019, he has performed over 300 robotic heart surgeries, making it the fastest-growing program in the country.
St. Luke’s Health is a fully-integrated network that provides care to the communities in Greater Houston, East Texas, and the Brazos Valley through 16 acute care hospitals and over 270 access points including numerous urgent care centers, freestanding emergency departments, and clinics conveniently located across the region. With a team of 11,000 employees and caregivers and more than 5,000 physicians, St. Luke’s Health is dedicated to a mission of enhancing community health through high-quality, cost-effective care. A joint venture with Baylor Medicine, St. Luke’s Health operates Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Texas Medical Center, a leading academic health center with quaternary care and advanced specialists. St. Luke’s Health is part of CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. CommonSpirit was created in February 2019 through the alignment of Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health. Learn more at StLukesHealth.org.
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