[Video-assisted cardiac valve surgery]

A clinical study of thoracoscopy-assisted mitral valve replacement concomitant with tricuspid valvuloplasty, with domestically manufactured pipeline products for cardiopulmonary bypass

Objective

To discuss the feasibility and experience of treating valvular heart diseases with thoracoscopy-assisted mitral valve replacement concomitant with tricuspid valvuloplasty, with domestically manufactured pipeline products for cardiopulmonary bypass.

Methods

A total of 135 patients with valvular heart disease were admitted to our hospital between January 2011 and January 2013. They received thoracoscopy-assisted mitral valve replacement concomitant with tricuspid valvuloplasty, with domestically manufactured pipeline products. A cardiopulmonary bypass with domestically-manufactured pipeline products was established during the surgery. The procedure was accomplished with the assistance of thoracoscopy through a small incision in the right chest wall.

Results

All 135 patients underwent a successful surgery, and were followed up for the duration of half a year to two years. None of them displayed any evidence of complications. Our procedure had the advantage of fewer complications and a significantly shortened time period for the patient care and hospitalization. As opposed to imported pipeline products for cardiopulmonary bypass, our procedure had the advantage of similar clinical results at a lower cost.

Conclusions

Thoracoscopy-assisted mitral valve replacement concomitant with tricuspid valvuloplasty was proved to be a safe and effective method for cardiopulmonary bypass, with the use of domestically manufactured pipeline products.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13019-014-0160-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

[Minimally invasive heart and mitral valve surgery]

During the last decades, minimally invasive operative techniques have been established in various subspecialties of modern cardiac surgery, offering now safe and efficient alternative treatment options for most of the patients. Those new and innovative options thereby aimed to reduce the operative trauma and perioperative morbidity, and furthermore, to increase patients' satisfaction and optimize patients' security. After continuous enhancement of these minimally invasive techniques during the last 10 years, numerous current reports demonstrate minimally invasive cardiac surgery techniques to be safe and efficient, resulting in equal or even better mortality and morbidity compared to conventional cardiac surgery. The underlying benefits of minimally invasive cardiac surgery are characterized by shorter hospital stay, less postoperative pain, accelerated rehabilitation, and superior cosmetic results. Minimally invasive treatment options in cardiac surgery should always be considered for suitable patients.