Cardiologists make history, complete world’s first robotic transcatheter mitral valve replacements
The world’s first robotic-assisted transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) procedures have been performed in Chile, representing a key step forward for the use of robotic technologies during interventional heart procedures.
Capstan Medical, a California-based medtech company focused on developing new structural heart disease treatments, announced the news, noting that its robotic-enabled technologies were used to complete two successful robotic TMVR procedures at Hospital Clínico Universidad Católica in Santiago, Chile.
“Today marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of structural heart therapy,” Maggie Nixon, CEO of Capstan Medical, said in a statement. “Seeing the capabilities of our system, catheter, and implant come together to deliver groundbreaking human cases validates years of research, development, and unwavering commitment from our team. This achievement demonstrates the potential of our technology to reshape the future of structural heart procedures.”
Interventional cardiologists Gonzalo Martinez, MD, MPhil, director of the Endovascular Therapy Center at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and Santiago Garcia, MD, director of the structural heart program at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, led the operations.
“We are honored to pioneer this innovation that has the potential to transform how we treat heart valve disease, especially for patients who aren't candidates for conventional surgery,” Martinez said in the same statement. “The Capstan technology exceeded our expectations even in these early cases.”
“These successful first-in-human cases represent a significant leap forward in structural heart intervention,” added Garcia. “I've worked with numerous technologies, but this fundamentally changes what's possible in the treatment of valvular heart disease. The robotic platform provided unprecedented catheter stability and control, achieving optimal implant positioning. Both patients had elimination of their mitral regurgitation, with unobstructed left ventricular outflow tracts, and were released home after a few days feeling much better than how they arrived. This is the enabling technology the structural heart field has been waiting for.”
Capstan Medical’s robotic-enabled transcatheter technology is still under development. Most robotic-assisted cardiac offerings are designed to be used during full surgeries, not as minimally invasive procedures, helping set Capstan Medical apart from others in this space.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.