'Robo-doc' puts patient's heart back on the beat

A robot surgeon has operated on a patient to correct the man's irregular heartbeat. The £1 million Da Vinci machine carried out the operation, the first in the UK, at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington. The patient, Derek Rutter, 48, suffered from atrial fibrillation, which affects 500,000 people in the UK each year.

During the procedure, robotic-enhanced atrial fibrillation ablation, surgeon Roberto Casula operated the robot by remote control to insert 5mm probes into Mr Rutter's chest. The probes sent microwaves into the heart tissue, stopping any abnormal heart rhythm. The operation was a success, meaning there was no need for invasive surgery.