Minimally Invasive Heart Valve Replacement

A new minimally invasive technique for repairing or replacing the heart's mitral valve results in far less pain for patients, a faster recovery, and excellent outcomes, according to doctors at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit (MI, USA).

The procedure uses many of the same principles used in traditional cardiac surgery, including stopping and emptying the heart of blood with a heart-lung machine. However, surgeons use a technique called Port-Access, which allows them to operate with specially designed instruments through a small incision, or port, about two and a half inches long between the ribs, in contrast to the 12-15-inch incision through the breastbone in conventional surgery. They can visualize the heart directly or through small, tube-shaped cameras. Port-Access was developed by HeartPort (Redwood City, CA, USA).

St. John Hospital is one of the first U.S. hospitals to use the new technique. "With traditional surgery, the patient is out of commission for at least two to three months,” said Dr. Steven Harrington, a cardiac surgeon at St. John. "But patients who have this surgery are up and around without any restrictions on driving or even lifting within two to three weeks.”

Dr. Harrington noted that although the procedure is technically more demanding and more difficult than traditional cardiac surgery, this is outweighed by the significant advantages. Also, the procedure is a good option for women because the incision is hidden under the breast tissue, so there is no foot-long scar in the middle of the chest.




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HeartPort
St. John Hospital