Expanding the Boundaries of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery: Initial Experience with Multivalve Procedures

Background/Objectives: Minimally invasive valve surgery via right minithoracotomy is well established for isolated aortic and mitral procedures, but its application to multivalve operations remains uncommon and clinical data are scarce. We report our initial single-center experience with minimally invasive multivalve surgery-defined as a small skin incision without rib spreading or internal mammary artery dissection-in patients with combined aortic and mitral disease. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 10 consecutive patients who underwent minimally invasive multivalve cardiac surgery at our institution. All operations were performed through a 5-7 cm right minithoracotomy in the third or fourth intercostal space, with femoral cannulation for cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Nine patients underwent a double-valve procedure (aortic and mitral) and one a triple-valve procedure (aortic, mitral, and tricuspid). Operative variables, perioperative complications, and early echocardiographic outcomes were assessed. Results: The mean age of patients was 69.8 ± 5.2 years and 60% were female. Mean CPB and aortic cross-clamp times were 197.6 ± 48.3 min and 148.1 ± 34.7 min, respectively. All procedures were completed via the minimally invasive approach, with no conversion to sternotomy and no in-hospital deaths. No rethoracotomies, wound infections, or peripheral vascular complications occurred. Postoperative atrial fibrillation, observed in five patients (50%), was the most common complication. Early echocardiography showed good valve function in nine patients (90%); one had a moderate aortic paravalvular leak managed conservatively. Conclusions: In a center with established experience in single-valve minimally invasive surgery, multivalve procedures can be safely extended to a right minithoracotomy approach, with low perioperative morbidity and no early mortality despite operative times reflecting the early learning curve.