Harold G. Roberts

About

Harold G. Roberts is a pioneering cardiothoracic surgeon whose work centers on minimally invasive robotic mitral valve surgery and the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation. His most influential contribution, the 2018 study "Robotic mitral valve operations by experienced surgeons are cost-neutral and durable at 1 year" (70 citations), provided critical evidence that robotic mitral repair can match the outcomes and cost-effectiveness of traditional sternotomy, helping to legitimize the robotic approach in cardiac surgery. Roberts also developed the "Warm Beating Heart, Robotic Endoscopic Cox-Cryomaze" technique (23 citations), a novel method for treating atrial fibrillation that avoids cardioplegic arrest, and later refined this into the fully robotic cryothermic biatrial Cox-Maze procedure. His philosophy of "respectful resection" in mitral repair advocates for tissue preservation over aggressive excision, challenging conventional dogma. Through his work on program development and procedural standardization, Roberts has helped transform mitral surgery from an open-chest operation into a reproducible, minimally invasive procedure, making him a key figure in the evolution of robotic cardiac surgery.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Robotic mitral valve operations by experienced surgeons are cost-neutral and durable at 1 year

   70 citations · 2018
2. 2
   Warm Beating Heart, Robotic Endoscopic Cox-Cryomaze: An Approach for Treating Atrial Fibrillation

   23 citations · 2009
3. 3
   Respectful resection to enhance the armamentarium of mitral valve repair: Is less really more?

   8 citations · 2018
4. 4
   Robotic assisted cryothermic biatrial Cox‐Maze

   7 citations · 2021
5. 5
   Mitral surgery on the precipice of transformation

   3 citations · 2017
6. 6
   Developing a robotic mitral program: What's past is prologue

   2 citations · 2018

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links