title: Minimally invasive pediatric surgery in uncomplicated congenital heart disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to highlight the use of a minimally invasive approach in uncomplicated congenital heart surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated retrospectively 32 children below 10 years of age who underwent elective closure of ostium secundum type (n = 27), sinus venosus type (n = 4) and ostium primum type (n = 1) atrial septal defects through a limited skin incision and partial lower sternotomy between August 2001 and December 2008. All patients had cannulation through the same incision for cardiopulmonary bypass.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A pericardial patch was used to close the defect in 8 patients and direct suturing in 24. The mean time from the skin incision to cannulation was 56 ± 23 min. Total bypass time was 27 ± 12 min, and crossclamp time was 15 ± 8 min. Mean length of hospital stay was 4 ± 2 days. We did not encounter any complications or mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A minimally invasive approach, consisting of a limited skin incision and partial lower sternotomy, is a safe, reliable, and cosmetically advantageous method in uncomplicated congenital heart disease surgery, which can be performed widely, and may replace the standard approach without increasing mortality and morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Etlik, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Faruk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cingoz
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tavlasoglu
authors.forename: Mehmet Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurkluoglu
authors.forename: Adem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guler
authors.forename: Celalettin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Günay
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arslan
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D061646:Operative Time; D010496:Pericardium / Q000637:transplantation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D056346:Sternotomy; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Cardiac surgical procedures; atrial; congenital; heart defects; heart septal defects; minimally invasive; sternotomy; surgical procedures