Video-assisted cardiac surgery: 6 years of experience

Minimally invasive and video-assisted cardiac surgery (VACS) has increased in popularity over the past 15 years. The small incisions have been associated with a good aesthetic effect and less surgical trauma, therefore less postoperative pain and rapid recovery.

To present our series with VACS, after 6 years of use of the method.

136 patients underwent VACS, after written consent, between September 2005 and October 2011, 50% for men and age of 47.8 ± 15, 4 anos, divided into two groups: with cardiopulmonary (CEC) (GcCEC=105 patients): mitral valve disease (47/105), aortic disease (39/105), congenital heart disease (19/105) and without extracorporeal circulation (CEC) (GsCEC=31 patients): cardiac resynchronization (18/ 31), cardiac tumor (4/31) and minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting (6/31). GcCEC was held in right minithoracotomy (3 to 5 cm) and femoral access to perform cannulation.

In GcCEC, mean length of ICU stay and hospital stay were respectively 2.4 ± 4.5 days and 5.0 ± 6.8 days. Twelve patients presented complications in post-operative and five (4.8%) death. Ninety-three (88.6%) patients evolved uneventful, were extubated in operating room, and remained a mean of 1.8 ± 0.9 days in ICU and 3.6 ± 1.3 days in the hospital. In GsCEC, were mean 1.3 ± 0.7 days in ICU and 2.9 ± 1.4 days in hospital and without complications or deaths.

The results found in this series are comparable to those of world literature and confirm the method as an option the conventional technique.