4 April, 2019
What benefits does minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery offer?
The reduction of surgical aggression has multiple benefits, since it allows us to achieve the same objectives of conventional surgery with less impact the patient. A few days ago, we talked specifically about Port Access surgery and, even then, we said that it is a much less traumatic technique. Let’s see other benefits of minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery…
Related Post (spanish):
BENEFITS OF MINIMALLY INVASIVE CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY
Of the minimally invasive techniques in cardiovascular surgery, we have highlighted, above all, that less harm is caused to the patient. However, this type of surgery also offers other benefits:
1. Faster recovery
Patients who undergo minimally invasive surgery can return to normal activities much more quickly. Mainly, thanks to the fact that, with Port Access surgery, sternotomy (the fracture or longitudinal division of the entire sternum) is avoided, and it, like any fracture, causes discomfort and requires weeks to heal.
2. Less postoperative pain
By avoiding fracturing the sternum and, therefore, performing a much smaller incision, the postoperative period will be much less painful.
3. Better respiratory function after surgery
By not distorting the chest structure and causing less pain, patients recover respiratory function more quickly. After the operation, they are able to cough and expectorate normally and this translates into less time connected to the respirator and less respiratory complications (pneumonia, atelectasis, etc). In fact, most patients who operate in this way are extubated in the operating room, immediately after completing the procedure.
4. Lower blood loss
Minimal invasiveness and reduction of the incision lead to less blood loss, which results in less anaemia and less need for transfusions.
5. Shorter hospital stays
All this translates into a considerable reduction in hospitalisation time. Above all, it reduces the time spent in the intensive care unit.
6. Unbeatable aesthetic result (nearly invisible scar)
Finally and also very importantly, with minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery we achieve an aesthetic result that is impossible to achieve with conventional surgical techniques. The scars are practically invisible in some cases, especially in women. Recently, we have begun to offer this type of intervention by accessing through a small incision around the areola (nipple), completely invisible after the surgery.
“With minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery we achieve an aesthetic result that is impossible to achieve with conventional surgical techniques”
IS THERE ANY CONTRAINDICATION FOR THE MINIMALLY INVASIVE TECHNIQUES IN CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY?
Minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery has some contraindications. For some patients, this type of surgery is the best option and it is recommended to perform a conventional intervention through the sternum.
Some of the contraindications are:
- History of previous surgical interventions on the right side of the thorax.
- Presence of advanced peripheral vascular disease, affecting the arterial circulation of the legs or the presence of aortic aneurysms.
- Significant dilation or calcification of the ascending aorta.
- The need to perform other surgeries concomitantly that cannot be done through this approach, for example the performance of multiple coronary bypass.
For this reason, in the preoperative evaluation of all our patients we perform a series of tests that allow us to rule out these situations and ensure maximum safety for the patient.