title: Current approaches to minimally invasive aortic valve surgery.
abstract: Minimally invasive as it applies to aortic valve surgery refers to the exposure required to perform the aortic procedure, because total cardiopulmonary bypass is still required. Initial experience used the anterior thoracotomy, but recent series report the ministernotomy or "J" incision as the preferred technique for exposure. Though pain, blood loss, and length of stay may not be significantly different when compared with the conventional technique, lower costs and earlier recovery may be achieved. Minimally invasive aortic valve surgery is a technique that is still evolving.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Estrera
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Reardon
mesh_terms: D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods*