Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery

Abstract

Traditional cardiac surgery has been performed via a "big" median sternotomy incision by significant complexity and invasiveness. The traditional big incision has presented with many problems, and at the same time, has given opportunity to make the procedures less invasive. During the past decade, improvement in endoscopic equipments and operative techniques has resulted in development of minimal invasive cardiac operations using small incisions with or without robotics. A number of cardiac procedures are currently performed by minimal invasive approaches and for many surgeons a minimal invasive cardiac surgery has become a standard practice. Herein, we reviewed the minimal invasive cardiac surgery in the aortic valve, mitral valve, tricuspid valve, atrial septal defect, and coronary artery disease.