Trehan Naresh, Mishra Yugal K, Sharma Mitesh, Bazaz Surinder, Mehta Yatin, Sharma Krishan Kant, Shrivastava Sameer
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, India.
Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann. 2002 Jun;10(2):133-6. doi: 10.1177/021849230201000209.
From 1997 to 2000, 221 patients underwent mitral valve surgery through a mini-thoracotomy, using a port-access endovascular cardiopulmonary bypass system in 38 and a transthoracic clamp in 183. In 120 patients, exposure of the mitral valve was facilitated by an endoscope attached to a voice-controlled robotic arm (AESOP 3000). The mitral valve was repaired in 26 patients and replaced in 195; 24 were redo cases. Operating time was 3.5 +/- 1.2 hours, aortic crossclamp time was 58 +/- 16 minutes, intensive care unit stay was 22 +/- 7 hours, and hospital stay was 6.4 +/- 1.2 days. Median postoperative blood loss was 332 +/- 104 mL. There was 1 hospital death. On follow-up at 16.4 +/- 12.2 months, there was no late death or reoperation. New York Heart Association functional class improved from 2.6 +/- 0.5 to 1.4 +/- 0.8. Use of video and robotic assistance minimized incision length and allowed visualization of the whole mitral valve apparatus. The transthoracic clamp facilitated aortic crossclamping and injection of cardioplegia. These findings indicate that the procedure is safe and effective and suggest advantages over conventional surgery in terms of cost, cosmesis, blood loss, postoperative discomfort, intensive care unit and hospital stay.
