Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery

Overview

Minimally invasive heart surgery

Enlarge

In minimally invasive heart surgery, heart (cardiac) surgeons perform heart surgery through small incisions in the right side of your chest, as an alternative to open heart surgery. Surgeons operate between the ribs and don't split the breastbone (sternotomy), which results in less pain and a quicker recovery for most people. In minimally invasive surgery, your heart surgeon has a better view of some parts of your heart than in open heart surgery. As in open surgery, minimally invasive heart surgery requires stopping your heart temporarily and diverting blood flow from your heart using a heart-lung machine.

Surgeons perform many minimally invasive heart surgeries, including:

• Aortic valve surgery
• Atrial septal defect closure, including patent foramen ovale
• Atrioventricular canal defect (also called atrioventricular septal defect) surgery
• Coronary bypass surgery (including "off-pump" bypass surgery, which is performed while the heart is still beating without a cardiopulmonary bypass machine) to treat coronary artery disease
• Heart valve surgery to treat heart valve disease
• Maze heart surgery to treat atrial fibrillation
• Mitral valve surgery
• Saphenous vein harvest (removing a vein from your leg) for coronary bypass surgery
• Tricuspid valve surgery

Your doctor will work with you to determine if minimally invasive heart surgery is an option. If you've had prior heart surgery or heart disease, you generally aren't a candidate for minimally invasive heart surgery. Your doctor also may perform tests and review your medical history to determine if you're a candidate for minimally invasive heart surgery. Mayo Clinic offers robot-assisted surgery or thoracoscopic minimally invasive heart surgery. Read more about minimally invasive heart surgery types.

Advantages

Minimally invasive heart surgery isn't an option for everyone, but it offers many advantages in those for whom it's appropriate:

Advantages may include:

• Less blood loss
• Lower risk of infection
• Reduced trauma and pain
• Shorter time in the hospital, faster recovery and quicker return to normal activities
• Smaller, less-noticeable scars

Risks

In people for whom minimally invasive heart surgery is appropriate, risks and complications are rare. You may experience these complications, which also may occur in other surgeries:

• Bleeding
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Wound infection

Why choose Mayo Clinic

At Mayo Clinic, a team of doctors with training in heart disease (cardiologists), cardiac (heart) surgeons and other specialists with training in minimally invasive heart surgery work closely to provide integrated, coordinated care. The team works with you to ensure a full, smooth recovery after surgery.

Mayo Clinic heart surgeons perform hundreds of minimally invasive heart surgeries each year. Surgeons at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota are experienced in performing minimally invasive heart surgery in children.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is ranked among the Best Hospitals for heart and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic also ranks among the Best Children's Hospitals for heart and heart surgery.

Related book: Mayo Clinic Healthy Heart for Life! book provides an easy-to-follow plan to prevent and conquer heart disease.