<h1>Legal risks of shifting to minimally invasive, robotic, and transcatheter heart valve surgery: consent, device durability, access equity</h1> Reported advancements in heart valve surgery describe a shift from traditional open procedures to minimally invasive, robotic-assisted, and transcatheter techniques, raising legal considerations around informed consent, standard of care, device durability, and patient selection. Regulatory and licensing issues arise for new devices and robotic platforms, while unequal access to specialized centers may trigger healthcare equity and malpractice risk concerns. Long-term outcomes uncertainty for younger patients implicates product liability and post-market surveillance duties. Multidisciplinary decision-making and individualized treatment planning are emphasized to mitigate clinical and legal exposure.