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Three million euros for cardiac surgery: The new surgical system enables minimally invasive procedures to be performed with just a single incision.
Whether it’s a personal experience or a tragedy in the family—it’s often deeply personal reasons that motivate people to make a significant donation for a specific cause. Thanks to two multi-million-euro donations, the Hannover Medical School (MHH) has now been able to put another surgical robot into operation. The new da Vinci SP system is available to the surgical teams at the Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation, and Vascular Surgery (HTTG). It is the first surgical robot of this type in Germany. The costs, totaling around three million euros, were jointly covered by the company ROSSMANN and the Braukmann-Wittenberg Heart Foundation, each contributing 1.5 million euros. In addition, ROSSMANN provided an additional 300,000 euros to cover the one-year rental fee for another surgical robot at the Clinic for Plastic, Aesthetic, Hand, and Reconstructive Surgery (PÄHW).
Grateful Patient Dirk Roßmann
Behind ROSSMANN’s donation lies a personal motivation on the part of founder Dirk Roßmann. In January 2025, he underwent heart surgery at the HTTG Clinic performed by Clinic Director Prof. Dr. Arjang Ruhparwar. He had originally assumed that only a stent would need to be placed in a coronary artery. But preliminary tests showed that wouldn’t be enough. So, during open-heart surgery, the entrepreneur received four bypasses. This was followed by further treatment in the intensive care and general wards, as well as three weeks of rehab. “That wasn’t a pleasant time,” recalls the 79-year-old. “I especially hated cycling during rehab. I’d rather play tennis or table tennis.” But the training was worth it. Today, Dirk Roßmann feels fit again and is grateful that everything went well. His donation follows a simple principle that also shapes his son Raoul Roßmann’s commitment to the Hanover region: pragmatic help so that patients have the chance to receive the best possible medical care.
A foundation established after a successful surgery
For the second donor, the Braukmann-Wittenberg Heart Foundation, personal experience and gratitude also play a role. In this case, the specific event occurred some time ago, but its impact is still felt today. The foundation was established in the late 1980s by the couple Hildegard Braukmann and Albert Wittenberg to support cardiovascular research at the MHH. The background: Albert Wittenberg underwent heart valve surgery at the MHH in 1982. “The surgery enabled him to continue working at his own company until 1990 and to spend another eight happy years with his wife,” reports Markus Schmieta, vice chairman of the Braukmann-Wittenberg Heart Foundation. The couple ran the cosmetics company Hildegard Braukmann for many years—it is based in Burgwedel, just like ROSSMANN. Over the past decades, the foundation has donated many millions to MHH projects focused on heart health. For example, it provided 13 million euros to fund the construction of the Hans Borst Center for Heart and Stem Cell Research, which opened in 2008. With the donation for the surgical robot, the foundation not only supports modern patient care but also promotes research and teaching in cardiology.
Complex minimally invasive procedures through a single incision
The new surgical robot at the HTTG Clinic is a da Vinci SP surgical system. The letters SP stand for Single Port. “Unlike other robotic systems, this device requires only a single incision, about three centimeters long, to perform the surgery,” explains Prof. Dr. Arjang Ruhparwar, Director of the Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation, and Vascular Surgery. Through this single incision, surgeons insert a video camera and three robotic instrument arms simultaneously into the chest cavity. Only once inside are the individual arms spread apart from one another. “In cardiac surgery, we will initially use the new system during bypass operations for the preparation of the sternum artery. Later on, the range of applications for the device will certainly expand,” says Professor Ruhparwar. For patients, the single-incision technique means less trauma and a faster recovery. Professor Ruhparwar expects that the da Vinci SP will be used approximately 100 times per year in cardiac and thoracic surgery during the initial phase. The HTTG surgical teams already have experience with robot-assisted surgical systems, but the new device is the clinic’s first of its own.
Another ROSSMANN donation for surgical robots in microsurgery
The surgical teams at the Clinic for Plastic, Aesthetic, Hand, and Reconstructive Surgery (PÄHW) have also had positive experiences with surgical robots. Many procedures at this clinic fall within the realm of microsurgery—precision work involving the suturing of the finest nerves and vessels under an extremely high-magnification microscope. With an additional donation of 300,000 euros, ROSSMANN covered the rental fees for a microsurgical surgical robot for the PÄHW Clinic. Thanks to this funding, the PÄHW can use a modern Symani surgical system for one year. “The device features a new generation of instruments. It now also includes scissors for tissue preparation,” explains Prof. Dr. Peter Maria Vogt, Director of the PÄHW Clinic. The new system not only covers the entire spectrum of microsurgery on nerves and blood vessels. “It also represents the key technology for the new field of lymphatic surgery,” emphasizes Professor Vogt. Lymphatic surgical procedures are performed, for example, in cases of lymphatic system disorders following cancer treatments. The structures of the lymphatic system are extremely delicate and, until a few years ago, could not be operated on at all.
Robot-assisted surgical technology on the rise
Minimally invasive robot-assisted surgical technology offers many advantages in general. Patients benefit from fewer postoperative complications, faster wound healing, and a shorter hospital stay. But robotic systems also offer a number of advantages for surgeons: For example, the surgical field is perfectly illuminated and displayed on the screen in 3-D and at high magnification. Additionally, ergonomic conditions are optimal, as procedures can be performed while seated. Furthermore, a tremor filter compensates for any trembling or unintended hand movements. A total of four surgical robots are currently in use at MHH. In addition to the HTTG and PÄHW, they are also used in visceral surgery, gynecology, and urology. Surgical robots have become indispensable in modern operating rooms; they will transform surgery in the long term—Professor Ruhparwar and Professor Vogt are convinced of this.
The cost of the new surgical robot at the HTTG Clinic, amounting to three million euros, was split equally between ROSSMANN and the foundation. ROSSMANN alone provided the 300,000-euro donation for the use of the surgical robot at the PÄHW Clinic. The MHH Fundraising Office coordinated all donations and also handled the processing of the ROSSMANN contributions through the MHH plus Foundation, which it oversees. MHH plus is not only the right point of contact for donations in the millions; smaller contributions are also in good hands there. Contact: http://www.mhh.de/plus.
The HTTG surgeons show the sponsors the surgical robot: Dr. Tobias Goecke, PhD, Raoul Roßmann, Dirk ...
Copyright: Karin Kaiser/MHH.
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