Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery in India

What is minimally invasive heart surgery? Minimally invasive heart surgery, which is also known as keyhole surgery, refers to surgeries which are performed through small incisions, The incisions are usually about 3 - 4 inches as against 6 -8 inch incisions required for normal open surgery. Which are the heart conditions for which minimally invasive heart surgery is recommended? Minimally invasive surgery finds application for the following: 1. Mitral Valve surgeries, including repairs and valve replacements 2. Aortic Valve surgeries, including repairs and valve replacements The above surgeries account for over 80% of the total number of minimally invasive heart surgeries. Where are the incisions made and how long are they? The following pictures show a comparison. The first two pictures show incisions made for minimally invasive cardiac surgery, while the third picture, on the extreme right shows the long incisions required for traditional surgery for valve replacement.

3. Minimally Invasive heart bypass Surgery Minimally invasive bypass surgery is possible in the case of patients who require a left internal mammary artery bypass graft to the left anterior descending artery. Harvesting of the Saphenous (leg) vein can be done using minimally invasive surgery. Minimally invasive CABG surgery may soon be used for surgeries performed on a beating (off-pump) or non-beating (on-pump) heart.

For heart bypass surgery, Where are the incisions made and how long are they? Please see the illustration below.

What are the benefits of Minimally Invasive cardiac surgery techniques?

Incisions are much smaller, leaving behind small scars Short hospital recuperation stay after surgery: Approximately 3 to 5 days after minimally invasive surgery, as against 7 to 10 days in the case of open heart surgery Lowered risk of infection Lowered risk of bleeding and consequent need for blood transfusion Faster recovery time and early return to normal activity: The normal recovery time after minimally invasive cardiac surgery is 1 to 4 weeks, as compared to 6 to 8 weeks in the case of open heart surgery. Division of the breastbone is not needed for endoscopic heart surgery. Who Is a Candidate for Minimally Invasive Surgery?

Our heart specialists will review your medical reports to assess your suitability for minimally invasive cardiac surgery. They will consider several factors, including the nature and extent of heart disease, your age, medical history and lifestyle.

Author P R Ramesh is the CEO of Aarex Medical Services, one of India's leading medical tourism companies. Ramesh is well-connected with India's best doctors and hospitals and is one of the senior most professionals in the medical tourism industry in India, having delivered quality medical care over the last decade to patients from over 30 countries from across the globe.