Cardiac Surgery

Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery

Traditionally, heart surgery has been performed using a long incision through the sternum (breastbone) to reach the heart. Today, minimally invasive cardiac surgery is possible for many types of heart surgery, such as repairing a valve or closing a hole in the heart. In minimally invasive heart surgery, surgeons use small incisions, thin instruments, tiny cameras and robotic instruments. This approach offers many benefits over traditional heart surgery. These include:

Smaller incisions with little scarring
Less pain
Minimal blood loss and less need for transfusion
Greatly reduced risk for infection
Faster return to normal activities
Shorter hospital stay

Heart surgeries that may be done using minimally invasive techniques include:

Coronary bypass surgery — possible when only one or two bypass grafts is needed
ASD/PFO closure — a technique to close a hole in the septum (wall) between the atria, the two upper chambers of the heart. The hole — an atrial septal defect (ASD) or a patent foramen ovale (PFO) — is a congenital defect.
Atrial fibrillation (arrhythmia) ablation — to correct an abnormal heart rhythm
Mitral valve surgery — to repair or replace the mitral valve
Aortic valve surgery — to repair or replace the aortic valve

Author: Marla Fraunfelder

Last Review Date: March 13, 2012

Online Editor(s): Kathryn Adam