USA Health Surgeon Performs First-In-Area Procedure Robotically

Dr. Parker Mullen, a cardiothoracic surgeon at USA Health Providence Hospital, recently performed a surgical procedure to seal off the left atrial appendage in a patient’s heart with a clip—the first such procedure in the area to be performed robotically. The precision of robot-assisted surgery using the da Vinci Xi enabled Mullen and his team to address the patient’s atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm disorder that could not be treated with more traditional methods because of the patient’s health history. In the operating room, a surgeon controls the da Vinci Xi robot’s four tiny instruments from a console using magnified views of the surgery site. Robotic instruments move like a human hand but with greater precision and a greater range of motion. The benefits of robotic surgery include a shortened length of hospital stay, less blood loss, reduced complications and less post-operative pain. USA Health, which has six da Vinci Xi robots and one da Vinci SP robot, launched its robotic thoracic surgery program in December 2025.