MINIMALLY INVASIVE HEART SURGERIES
Heart patients benefit from medical movement toward less traumatic approaches

American medical expertise and ingenuity is focused on finding better ways to treat important medical problems. One of the most beneficial trends for patients has been the movement toward modifying treatments to make them less traumatic and painful. This “minimally invasive” movement is making great strikes in heart care, too.

More than 5 million Americans have heart valve disease. While medications can sometimes treat valve disease, surgery is usually needed. According to the American Heart Association, about 95,000 valve replacement surgeries were performed in the United States in 2003. In traditional heart valve surgery, surgeons cut through the chest muscles and breastbone (sternum) to reach the heart. This open-chest procedure, called a sternotomy, usually leaves the patient with a 7-10 day hospital stay, 2-3 months of recovery, and a 10-15 inch scar on the chest.

Luckily, patients now have access to minimally invasive versions of heart valve surgery that make recovery easier, less painful and more cosmetically appealing. The “port access” technique allows surgeons to repair or replace heart valves through a single 3-4 inch incision between the ribs. Robotic surgery techniques use three or four dime-sized incisions. These minimally invasive approaches provide several important benefits to patients. The recovery period is shorter and much less painful. Patients walk sooner and require little assistance for their personal care. Many get by with very little or no pain medicine upon returning home. Minimally invasive techniques also dramatically improve cosmetic results. The smaller incisions are much less noticeable than the scar from conventional surgery. This is particularly appealing to those who wish to continue wearing low-neckline clothing after surgery. For many women, the port-access scar is underneath the breast and almost unnoticeable.