SPOKANE -- Inland Northwest doctors are combining delicate surgical procedures with video game-like computers.

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A robotic heart surgery machine at Sacred Heart Medical Center.

At Sacred Heart Medical Center, patients can undergo robotic surgery, where the doctors never actually touch the patient.

This futuristic procedure, performed entirely by a machine called the DaVinci Robot, can mean a much shorter recovery time for some heart patients. It takes a conventional open-heart surgical procedure and reduced it to a surgery that only requires a small incision, reducing time spent in the hospital afterward.

"We've had people playing tennis or skiing or golfing two to three weeks after surgery," said Dr. Leland Siwek, one of the surgeons who operates the heart surgery robot.

The machine is often used to repair heart valves, most commonly the mitral valve. But it can also be used to fix other problems like holes in the heart, and some coronary bypass surgeries.

One of the more appealing aspects of robotic heart surgery is that it doesn't require a doctor to break the breast bone or tear through a significant amount of muscle or tissue.

"We can still work within the heart, but we do it without opening the chest," said Dr. Siwek. "We perform surgery within a closed heart."

The machine is actually operated by trained doctors, who guide the robotic hands into the heart. A team of about 10 medical professionals -- doctors, nurses, and technicians. One doctor stays by the patient's side while another works the robotic hands from a console a few feet away.

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Wayne Hurst only has minimal bruising after undergoing robotic heart surgery.

It's a procedure that's attracting people from all over the country, including Wayne Hurst, a patient from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hurst came to Sacred Heart Medical Center to repair a congenital heart defect.

"Once you decide you have to travel, then you might as well travel to find the best," said Hurst. "This is where I ended up."

Just a few days after surgery, Hurst only suffered a few bruises and some small incisions.