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Technique and Patient Selection Criteria of Right Anterior Mini-Thoracotomy for Minimal Access Aortic Valve Replacement
Published on: March 26, 2018
Key-lock type mini-sternotomy: an alternative approach for adult cardiac operations
Mert Dumantepe1, Arif Tarhan, Azmi Ozler
1Department for Cardiovascular Surgery, Memorial Atasehir Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. mdumantepe@gmail.com
The Heart Surgery Forum
|April 30, 2013
Abstract:
An alternative technique for minimally invasive aortic valve replacement and atrial septal defect repair is described. After a 5-cm skin incision, a key-lock type sternotomy is made. Excellent exposure of the right atrium and aortic valve was achieved. The configuration of the mini-sternotomy (or the lock) limits the movement of the sternal surfaces (or the key) on the lateral and craniocaudal directions.

