title: Closed chest human aortic valve removal and replacement: Technical feasibility and one year follow-up.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement has so far required a minithoracotomy or a ministernotomy. We present here the first series of totally endoscopic aortic valve replacement (TEAVR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Between June 2013 and April 2015, 14 consecutive patients (12 males, mean age=76 ± 5.4 years) with a mean EuroSCORE II of 2.72 ± 0.03% underwent TEAVR. A five trocar setting was used in all patients: after ablation of the native valve, a Nitinol stented sutureless 3f Enable Medtronic valve, compressed into the main working trocar, was introduced into the thorax and then expanded in the aortic root.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 14 patients, a thoracoscopic approach was successful in 13 (92.8%) and conversion into an open surgery using the right anterior minithoracotomy was necessary to close the aortotomy in one case. Mean cross-clamping and cardiopulmonary (CPB) times were 112 ± 18 and 161 ± 31 min, respectively. All patients left the surgical unit within 8 days after the operation without any paravalvular leakage. There was no paravalvular regurgitation, conductive block or any major adverse event at a mean follow-up of 10 ± 4 months (range 2-16).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TEAVR is feasible and safe in a selected subset of patients. Closed chest surgery has the potential to become the future approach of the isolated aortic valve replacement in low risk patients but further technical refinement and larger studies are necessary to reduce operative durations and enhance reproducibility.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Surgery Unit, Cardiovascular Diseases Department, University Hospital, St-Etienne, France. Electronic address: marco.vola@univ-st-etienne.fr.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vola
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Surgery Unit, Cardiovascular Diseases Department, University Hospital, St-Etienne, France.
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Fuzellier
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Surgery Unit, Cardiovascular Diseases Department, University Hospital, St-Etienne, France.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Campisi
authors.affiliation: Clinical Physiology Department, Cardiac Rehabilitation, EA SNA EPIS, UJM Saint Etienne, France.
authors.forename: Fréderic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Surgery Unit, Cardiovascular Diseases Department, University Hospital, St-Etienne, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Favre
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Unit, Cardiovascular Diseases Department, University Hospital, St-Etienne, France.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Isaaz
authors.affiliation: Anaesthesiology and Reanimation Department, University Hospital, St-Etienne, France.
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morel
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Unit, Cardiovascular Diseases Department, University Hospital, St-Etienne, France.
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gerbay
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Aortic valve replacement; Minimally invasive surgery; Sutureless bioprosthesis; TAVI; Thoracoscopy