Robotic heart surgery

From Chicago, Ill., at a meeting of the American Heart Association

KINDER CUTS. Robotic heart surgery leaves smaller scars than traditional open-heart surgery does. Argenziano

Surgeons in New York have used an experimental robotic system to operate on the hearts of 17 patients. The million-dollar device has three arms that hold tiny surgical instruments, as well as cameras to give the surgeons a three-dimensional view of an area of heart tissue.