For the very first time, a robot surgeon has managed to conduct a heart surgery without any human assistance. The 50-minute surgery was performed on a 34-years-old patient that was suffering from atrial fibrillation (heart flutters).

While the operation was done in Milan, Italy, the creator of the robot surgeon, Dr. Carlo Pappone, was monitoring the process from his computer in Boston, USA. Also watching this major medical event are dozens more heart specialists attending an international congress in America.

Prior to this first unassisted operation, the robot has already done at least 40 assisted operations, and has also gathered operation details from more than 10,000 past human operated surgeries.

“This operation has enabled us to cross a new frontier,” Pappone said. “The robot can now recognize the type of patient and the required method of operating,” he added.

For any doctors or doctors-to-be who are reading this, consider this a warning. Because this operation has been considered a major success and Pappone already has a plan to begin putting this prototype robot on sale this month.

Will this technology ever be widely accepted? Would you allow your loved ones to be operated by an unassisted robot?