Overview Of Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery
Open chest surgery has traditionally been used to perform heart bypasses, repair valves, mend aortic tears, and other procedures. In most cases, the surgical team was forced to cut through the patient’s sternum (or breastbone) and separate the ribs in order to access the heart. While open chest procedures are usually effective in resolving whatever problem the patient is suffering from, they are accompanied by a relatively high likelihood of infection and related complications. Minimally invasive techniques have been developed to help address these issues.
Below, we’ll explore the advantages of using these techniques as well as the types of procedures that can be performed with them.
Advantages Of Minimally Invasive Surgery
To fully appreciate the advantages of minimally invasive heart surgery (MIHS), it’s worth reviewing how it is performed. As noted, opening the chest requires the surgeon to make a long incision to access the sternum and cut through it. With MIHS, the surgeon can gain access to the patient’s heart by making a few smaller incisions. Doing so eliminates the need to cut through the breastbone and spread the ribs.
Once the smaller incisions have been made, the surgeon inserts robotic arms through them. The arms have surgical instruments attached on their ends. He controls their movements by using a computer, and watches their progress on a video monitor.
MIHS provides a number of advantages to the patient and the surgical team. First, it is more precise than traditional open chest surgery. As a result, it yields a better outcome for the patient. Second, there is less chance of bleeding, infection, and other complications. Third, there is less postoperative pain due to the lower level of trauma; those who undergo MIHS are often released from hospital care with three or four days. By comparison, those who undergo open chest procedures often remain in the hospital for up to ten days.
Procedures Performed Through Minimally Invasive Techniques
Minimally invasive techniques can be used for a variety of surgical objectives. They can be used to repair or replace malfunctioning valves (as in mitral valve repair). These techniques can also be used to perform coronary artery bypass grafts, mend aortic tears, and remove cardiac tumors (for example, a myxoma).
In cases where open chest procedures are required, the patient’s heart must often be stopped prior to performing the operation. With MIHS, the organ does not need to be stopped. The surgical team may administer medications in order to slow its rate, but it will continue beating during the operation. That allows the muscle to keep pumping blood throughout the body while the surgeon performs whatever repairs are necessary.
Minimally invasive heart surgery is becoming more common as the tools and technology become more widely available. As always, speak with your doctor regarding whether you are a good candidate for these techniques.
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