Hospital says RFK Jr. did not operate robotic arm during heart surgery |
Hospital says RFK Jr. did not operate robotic arm during heart surgery
The Cleveland Clinic is pushing back on a report that Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. operated a robotic arm during a patient’s heart surgery on a recent visit to the medical center, clarifying that he was merely an observer.
“He briefly observed a robotic heart surgery as part of a broader tour, which included a demonstration using a disconnected teaching console that was unable to perform any surgical functions,” a spokesperson for the clinic told The Hill in a statement on Thursday.
“He played no role in the patient’s care,” they added.
The explanation came after KFF Health News reported Wednesday that Kennedy “briefly tested the teaching console” of the clinic’s robotic hands “with a live patient splayed open for heart surgery in the room.” The article has since been updated to reflect the clinic’s statement.
The tidbit sparked immediate online criticism, with one doctor describing the HHS chief’s presence in the operating room as a “horrifying........