A surgeon manipulates robotic arms during heart surgery

LEIPZIG, Germany (CNN) -- Doctors in Germany said they have successfully performed the first heart bypass surgery using a robot.

The system, called Intuitive, uses three surgical arms that are inserted into the chest cavity through small incisions less than a centimeter wide. One of the arms holds a miniature camera; the other two hold standard surgical instruments.

The surgeon watches a monitor with a magnified image of the heart and manipulates the robotic arms with two handles.

When the surgeon grasps the handles, Intuitive's "motion-scaling" software translates large natural movements into precise micro-movements in the surgical instruments.

Professor Friedrich-Wilhelm Mohr, director of the heart surgery department at the Leipzig Heart Center, announced on Thursday that his surgical team had successfully used the system in an operation on Saturday. They are planning further use of the device.

Randolph Chitwood, chairman of the surgery department at the University of East Carolina, participated in the operation.

"We will always remain in contact with patients but this new technology will facilitate operations in confined spaces. This procedure combines modern technology with old fashioned patient care," Chitwood said.

The Intuitive system gives surgeons a clear, magnified, stable and easily controlled view of the surgical site and eliminates awkward operating techniques.

The Heart Center in Leipzig is one of the most modern in Germany.