On the horizon: minimally invasive cardiac surgery.
The landscape of cardiac surgery is changing. Advances in endoscopic and other instrumentation procedures such as port access, video instrumentation, and computer-assisted technology are opening new vistas for cardiac surgery. On the immediate horizon is minimally invasive cardiac surgery, also known as keyhole surgery. Imagine a patient not needing a median sternotomy incision or cardiopulmonary bypass. This new type of cardiac surgery is currently being explored at some cardiac surgical centers internationally. This article explores the current state-of-the-art related to minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass surgery. The operative procedure, implications for perioperative nursing care, likely future technologies, and the research literature on outcomes are also discussed.
Vitello-Cicciu
J
J
Emergency Department, Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts, USA.
Fitzgerald
C
C
Whalen
D
D
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