• Medic had arms knocked by robot repairing retired Stephen Pettitt's heart valve
  • Communication between surgeon and assistant was difficult due to 'tinny' sound
  • One medic realised the stitches were not being placed in 'an organised fashion'
  • Conducted operation to repair leaking mitral valve using robot for the first time
The operation using the Da Vinci robot (file image) was the first of its kind conducted in the UKA surgeon has described the tense atmosphere in an operating theatre as a pioneering robotic heart operation went catastrophically wrong.

At one point one of the assisting medics had his arms knocked by the robot which was being used to repair retired music teacher and conductor Stephen Pettitt's heart valve, an inquest was told.

Communication between lead surgeon Sukumaran Nair and his assisting surgeon Thasee Pillay was difficult because of the 'tinny' sound quality coming from the robot console being operated by Nair..."
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