Minimally invasive mitral valve repair is a modern surgical technique which avoids the need for major open heart surgery. The mitral valve is located between the left atrium and left ventricle and it has the function of controlling the flow of blood as it is pumped from the left atrium into the left ventricle prior to being expelled from the heart as it commences its journey around the body once more.
Mitral valve disease is not a fatal condition but there are issues which lead sufferers to face significantly higher risks of experiencing a major stroke or a major cardiac episode, both of which can be fatal. Mitral valve disease can be contracted due to hereditary predisposition and the majority of patients with the condition present a family history of the condition. In addition, the tissues and structures of the mitral valve can become diseased due to bacterial infection or other underlying cardiac disease which impairs the function of the valve itself.
Traditionally, the surgical option has been to perform open heart surgery where other non invasive medical intervention has proven unsuccessful. This requires a heart bypass and major surgery which is highly successful but also results in high levels of pain and cosmetic impairment from the scars. Due to medical advances, minimally invasive mitral valve surgery has become practical and delivers significant benefits to patients.
Minimally invasive mitral valve repair entails making small incisions (as opposed to opening the chest cavity) and typically this is effected by making incisions of only 2 to 4 inches compared to up to 8 inches for traditional surgery. In addition, robotically assisted surgery allows for much greater control and precision for certain types of keyhole surgery which is also known as “port access”.
Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery delivers significant benefits which include the following:
Lessened pain;
Reduced loss of blood;
A lower infection risk;
Faster recovery times;
Shorter stay in hospital; and
Improved cosmetic appearance post operation due to smaller and less apparent scars.
Minimally invasive surgery on the mitral valve is much more demanding of the surgeon and medical facility, requiring higher levels of skill though there is a higher risk associated with using minimally invasive techniques compared to the traditional open heart procedure. Nevertheless, success rates are very high for this operation and more importantly, there is a very high success rate for preventing any recurrence of the mitral valve condition which warrants the surgery in the first instance.
There are three main surgical operations conducted using minimally invasive techniques:
Mitral valve surgery using a right mini thoracotomy;
Mitral valve surgery using a partial upper sternotomy; and
Robotically assisted endoscopic valve repair.
All three procedures provide excellent cosmetic results because the operative scars are much reduced and are located in areas of the body where they are not readily discernible. Traditional open heart surgery requires a chest incision of up to 8 inches and spreading of the ribs; this results in unsightly scarring and considerable post operative pain whereas minimally invasive techniques do not require “chest cracking” and incisions are made elsewhere on the body to gain access to the mitral valve and the heart.
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