Cardiac Surgery

Minimally Invasive Valve Surgery
Minimally invasive valve surgery is a breakthrough approach to treating heart valve disease. Rather than making a large incision through the breastbone (sternum) to gain access to the heart, this method uses sophisticated instruments to perform the surgery through a smaller incision at the side of the chest.

Minimally invasive valve surgeries performed here include:
• Aortic valve repair or replacement
• Mitral valve repair and replacement
• Tricuspid valve repair or replacement

Minimally invasive surgery has many benefits, including the following :
• Faster recovery and a quicker return to normal activities
• Less time spent in the hospital
• Small incisions that result in little to no scarring. Depending upon the procedure, incisions may be four to five dime-size slits or a 3- to 5-inch incision at the side of the chest.
• Significantly less pain, with many patients able to control pain with Tylenol or other over-the-counter pain medicines
• Because the breastbone (sternum) remains intact, patients avoid the risk for infection and other complications associated with cutting it (sternotomy) that may occur with traditional open-chest procedures