Overview

In minimally invasive heart surgery, heart (cardiac) surgeons perform heart surgery through small incisions in the right side of your chest, as an alternative to open heart surgery. Surgeons operate between the ribs and don’t split the breastbone (sternotomy), which results in less pain and a quicker recovery for most people.

In minimally invasive surgery, your heart surgeon has a better view of some parts of your heart than in open heart surgery. As in open surgery, minimally invasive heart surgery sometimes requires stopping your heart temporarily and diverting blood flow from your heart using a heart-lung machine, which is done through femoro-femoral bypass.

Key Advantages

Minimally invasive cardiac surgery offers many advantages for appropriate candidates:

Less noticeable or scarless incisions for better cosmetic results

Reduced bleeding during and after the procedure