Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery

Minimally invasive techniques have recently been introduced into cardiac surgical procedures. Opportunities to make coronary artery bypass less invasive include elimination or minimization of both incisions and cardiopulmonary bypass. The current spectrum of minimally invasive coronary bypass procedures range from the minimally invasive direct vision coronary artery bypass procedure, which eliminates both the sternotomy incision and cardiopulmonary bypass, to the port access approach, which uses femoral-femoral bypass. Current procedures are also being used to make mitral and aortic valve surgery as well as saphenous vein harvest less invasive.