title: Minimally Invasive Cardiovascular Surgery: Incisions and Approaches.
abstract: Throughout the modern era of cardiac surgery, most operations have been performed via median sternotomy with cardiopulmonary bypass. This paradigm is changing, however, as cardiovascular surgery is increasingly adopting minimally invasive techniques. Advances in patient evaluation, instrumentation, and operative technique have allowed surgeons to perform a wide variety of complex operations through smaller incisions and, in some cases, without cardiopulmonary bypass. With patients desiring less invasive operations and the literature supporting decreased blood loss, shorter hospital length of stay, improved postoperative pain, and better cosmesis, minimally invasive cardiac surgery should be widely practiced. Here, we review the incisions and approaches currently used in minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery.
authors.affiliation: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Nathaniel B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Langer
authors.affiliation: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Argenziano
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*
keywords: cardiac surgery; coronary artery bypass; minimally invasive surgery; valve surgery