Minimally invasive heart surgery

Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery is a type of cardiac surgery that utilizes smaller incisions than traditional open-heart surgery. This surgical approach is designed to reduce physical trauma to the patient, decrease blood loss, and shorten recovery time.

Overview

Minimally invasive heart surgery involves the use of specialized surgical instruments and a video camera to view the heart and perform the surgery. The surgeon makes small incisions in the right side of the chest, through which the instruments and camera are inserted. The camera projects images of the heart onto a monitor, which the surgeon uses to guide the instruments and perform the surgery.

Types of Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery

There are several types of minimally invasive heart surgeries, including Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass (MIDCAB), Robot-Assisted Heart Surgery, and Endoscopic Vein Harvesting.

Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass

MIDCAB is a type of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery that is performed through a small incision in the chest, rather than the larger incision used in traditional CABG surgery.

Robot-Assisted Heart Surgery

In robot-assisted heart surgery, the surgeon uses a specially designed computer console to control surgical instruments on thin robotic arms.

Endoscopic Vein Harvesting

In endoscopic vein harvesting, veins are removed through a small incision for use in CABG surgery. This technique reduces the risk of infection and other complications associated with larger incisions.

Benefits

The benefits of minimally invasive heart surgery include less blood loss, lower risk of infection, reduced trauma and pain, shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery, and less scarring compared to traditional open-heart surgery.

Risks

As with any surgical procedure, minimally invasive heart surgery carries risks, including infection, bleeding, stroke, or heart attack. However, the risk is generally lower than with traditional open-heart surgery.

See Also

• Heart Surgery
• Cardiac Surgery
• Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
• Robot-Assisted Surgery