title: Two cases of valve surgery through right anterior minithoracotomy in presence of severe postmastectomy irradiation sternal damage.
abstract: High dose postmastectomy radiation therapy for breast cancer can lead to severe postirradiation sternal damage. Under these circumstances, median sternotomy may be associated with a prohibitive risk of postoperative deep sternal wound infection and alternative approaches have to be evaluated. We report herein the use of a right anterior minithoracotomy through the third intercostal space for isolated aortic valve replacement in one and combined aortic and mitral valve replacement in combination with mitral ring decalcification and coronary artery bypass grafting to the proximal right coronary artery in another patient.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zierer
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ay
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moritz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D000075202:Contraindications; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D056346:Sternotomy; D013249:Sternum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome