title: Minimally invasive versus standard approach aortic valve replacement: a study in 506 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement through partial upper sternotomy has been shown to reduce surgical trauma, and, supposedly, decrease postoperative pain, blood loss, and hospital stay.
  
  
  METHODS
  From October 1997 until November 2004, 506 patients received isolated aortic valve replacement, of which 232 underwent the minimal access J-sternotomy approach (group 1). The control group (group 2) consisted of 274 patients who underwent aortic valve replacements by median sternotomy. We retrospectively reviewed outcomes of the patients in the early follow-up period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In group 1 and group 2, respectively, early mortality was 2.6% (6 patients) and 4.4% (12 patients). The minimal access group had reduced aortic cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times compared with conventional group: 61.8 +/- 16.6 versus 69.5 +/- 16.6 minutes (p < 0.05) and 88.8 +/- 23.2 versus 100.2 +/- 22.6 minutes (p < 0.05), respectively. Mean blood loss was lower in group 1 compared with group 2 (p < 0.05). Intensive care unit and hospital stays were shorter in the minimal access group: 2.1 +/- 2.5 versus 2.5 +/- 5.3 days (p = nonsignificant) and 10.8 +/- 7.1 versus 12.8 +/- 10.6 days (p < 0.05), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aortic valve replacement can be performed safely through a partial upper sternotomy on a routine basis for isolated aortic valve disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Siyami Ersek Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Center, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ihsan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bakir
authors.forename: Filip P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Casselman
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wellens
authors.forename: Hugues
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jeanmart
authors.forename: Raphael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Geest
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Degrieck
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Van Praet
authors.forename: Yvette
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vermeulen
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vanermen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods*