The robot is one of my most trusted allies. It's a tool that is an extension of me."Dr. Nirav Patel is the director of Robotic Cardiac Surgery for Northwell Health and the vice chairman of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital. Having performed thousands of procedures, Dr. Patel has mastered the relationship between a human, a robot and a heart. And in doing so, he has changed and greatly improved many lives.The first physician in his family, Dr. Patel received his medical degree from Baroda Medical College in India. His medical training would then span three countries, giving him a unique perspective of global best practices in cardiac surgery. He continues to have a keen eye on global medicine; he has gi...