Fact Check: Did RFK Jr perform live heart surgery on a patient in Ohio?
CLEVELAND, OHIO: A rumor has been going viral on social media platforms claiming that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr performed a live heart surgery on a patient in Ohio, sparking speculations, criticisms, and debates about safety concerns.
Let us analyse the origins of the rumor and fact-check the claim's authenticity.
Claim: Robert F Kennedy Jr performed a live heart surgery on a patient
According to the viral claim, Kennedy briefly operated robotic hands on a live patient undergoing heart surgery, sparking a row over safety concerns.
The claim surfaced after screengrabs of the report began circulating online. The rumor was even reported by healthcare outlet KFF Health News.
The initial version of the report, according to Newsweek, said, “Under the careful watch of a surgeon, and with the machine disconnected, Kennedy briefly tested the teaching console of the renowned Cleveland Clinic’s robotic hands with a live patient splayed open for heart surgery in the room.”
The screengrab of the report was also shared by MSN reporter Brandy Zadrozny, writing, “The way I would sue for every dollar,” which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views.
Fact Check: Machine was disconnected from patient when Robert F Kennedy Jr used it
KFF Health News reporter Amanda Seitz, who wrote the story, later said that the clinic had called her to say the machine was disconnected from the patient when Kennedy used it.
“The Cleveland Clinic called me a few moments ago to say the robotic hands were disconnected to the patient as Kennedy sat at the console,” Seitz said in a post on X. "I asked about his use of the machine in the OR and was not told it was disconnected. We'll update the story soon.”
According to the new version of the story, “Under the careful watch of a surgeon, and with the machine disconnected, Kennedy briefly tested the teaching console of the renowned Cleveland Clinic’s robotic hands with a live patient splayed open for heart surgery in the room.”
Seitz also shared an explanation from surgeon Vamsi Aribindi, who said, “You need to 'swap' the instruments to take control on the Da Vinci platform, so he could do whatever he wanted on a console and nothing would happen so long as he didn't hit the swap pedal to take control of the instruments.”
