Chandigarh: Doctors and experts from around the world gathered for the 15th Cardiomersion Global Conference, a three-day annual event, which concluded recently. Held in both Chandigarh, India, and Rome, Italy, the conference brought together more than 100 leading heart specialists to discuss the latest approaches to treating heart diseases.The conference was a significant opportunity for doctors to share their latest findings and discuss cutting-edge technologies and advanced surgical techniques. The main objective was to find better ways to help patients with heart problems, making treatments more effective and less invasive.Dr Deepak Puri, who leads the Cardiomersion organisation globally, gave two highly anticipated talks. In one, he introduced a new and improved way to perform chest surgeries called uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (UVATS).

This technique allows doctors to perform complex operations through a tiny, single three-centimetre cut. Dr Puri explained that this new method is almost as clear to see as traditional open surgery, but it means much less pain, lower costs, and faster recovery for patients.Another key speaker, Dr Johannes Bonatti, a heart surgeon from Pittsburgh, US, painted an exciting picture of the future. He described how robots are increasingly being used in heart surgery, not just for simpler procedures like bypasses, but also for more complex operations like replacing heart valves and even heart and lung transplants.

He discussed new surgical robots that are more flexible and offer better control, even enabling doctors to perform surgery remotely.Following this vision, Dr Eric J Lehr, another minimally invasive heart surgeon from Seattle, US, discussed how robotics, along with artificial intelligence (AI), will revolutionise heart surgery. He showed how systems like the "da Vinci" robot have made procedures like heart valve repair and bypass surgery more precise and comfortable for patients.Dr Nidhi Puri, professor of anatomy from AIIMS Bilaspur, shared important insights about variations in a crucial blood vessel used in heart bypass surgery. Her presentation highlighted why it's so important for doctors to carefully check a patient's anatomy before surgery to avoid problems and achieve the best results.