Video-assisted cardiac surgery: 6 years of experience.
BACKGROUND
Minimally invasive and video-assisted cardiac surgery (VACS) has increased in popularity over the past 15 years. The small incisions have been associated with a good aesthetic effect and less surgical trauma, therefore less postoperative pain and rapid recovery.


OBJECTIVE
To present our series with VACS, after 6 years of use of the method.


METHODS
136 patients underwent VACS, after written consent, between September 2005 and October 2011, 50% for men and age of 47.8 ± 15, 4 anos, divided into two groups: with cardiopulmonary (CEC) (GcCEC=105 patients): mitral valve disease (47/105), aortic disease (39/105), congenital heart disease (19/105) and without extracorporeal circulation (CEC) (GsCEC=31 patients): cardiac resynchronization (18/ 31), cardiac tumor (4/31) and minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting (6/31). GcCEC was held in right minithoracotomy (3 to 5 cm) and femoral access to perform cannulation.


RESULTS
In GcCEC, mean length of ICU stay and hospital stay were respectively 2.4 ± 4.5 days and 5.0 ± 6.8 days. Twelve patients presented complications in post-operative and five (4.8%) death. Ninety-three (88.6%) patients evolved uneventful, were extubated in operating room, and remained a mean of 1.8 ± 0.9 days in ICU and 3.6 ± 1.3 days in the hospital. In GsCEC, were mean 1.3 ± 0.7 days in ICU and 2.9 ± 1.4 days in hospital and without complications or deaths.


CONCLUSIONS
The results found in this series are comparable to those of world literature and confirm the method as an option the conventional technique.
Cardiac Surgery Service at Hospital da Cruz Vermelha Filial do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brasil. jfjunior@uol.com.br
Jeronimo Antonio
JA
Fortunato Júnior
Marcelo Luiz
ML
Pereira
André Luiz M
AL
Martins
Daniele de Souza C
Dde S
Pereira
Maria Evangelista
ME
Paz
Luciana
L
Paludo
Alcides
A
Branco Filho
Branka
B
Milosewich
D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D020535:Video-Assisted Surgery / Q000379:methods*