Minimally Invasive Procedures

What’s minimally invasive heart surgery?

Unlike open-heart surgery, during which your chest remains open and your breastbone may be cut, minimally invasive heart surgery is performed through small cuts made on the right side of your chest. Because the surgeon operates between your ribs, your breastbone stays intact. As a result, you may experience less pain, fewer risks of complications and quicker recovery time.  

Why is it done?

Minimally invasive heart surgery can help treat or manage a variety of cardiac conditions, including:

• Aortic valve replacement
• Atrial septal defect and patent foramen ovale closure
• Atrioventricular septal defect surgery
• Coronary artery bypass surgery
• Maze procedure for atrial fibrillation
• Mitral valve repair and replacement
• Saphenous vein harvest for coronary artery bypass surgery
• Tricuspid valve repair and replacement

What are the benefits?

If you’re a good candidate for minimally invasive heart surgery you may experience a variety of benefits you wouldn’t gain from open heart surgery, including:

• Faster recovery
• Less blood loss
• Lower risk of infection
• Reduced pain and trauma
• Shorter hospital stay
• Smaller, less noticeable scars

What’s a TAVR?

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a cardiac procedure that repairs a damaged valve without removing it. Another valve is placed to function similar to a stent in the artery.  Once the new valve expands, it pushes the older valve’s leaflets out of the way. The tissue in the replacement valve then takes on the role of blood flow regulation.  

Is it an invasive procedure?

There are 2 main types of TAVR procedures: an invasive open-heart option and a minimally invasive approach. During the open-heart method, the chest stays open so that the TAVR procedure can be done through tiny openings. The less-invasive procedure involves a small incision in the chest. It’s less risky, brings swifter recovery and provides a particularly good option when open heart surgery is considered too risky.