Keyhole Heart Surgery

• It is an advanced type of cardiac surgery technically called Minimal access cardiac surgery (MICS)
• Unlike the conventional heart surgery it doesn't need a sternotomy, where in the bone in the front of your chest cavity needs to be opened.
• It can be performed through surgical wounds created on either of the sides of the chest (thoracotomy) or even through the centre of the chest (ministernotomy), sometimes , using 4-5 cm incisions.

RIGHT THORACOTOMY APPROACH

LEFT THORACOTOMY APPROACH

MINISTERNOTOMY APPROACH

Keyhole /MICS procedures have many advantages to their credit

• Small surgical wounds make one’s surgical experience great
• Significantly less pain experience compared to the conventional procedures
• Greatly reduced need for blood and blood product transfusion
• Abbreviated hospital stay and early resumption of the routine
• Excellent cosmetic outcome
• Very less wound related complications

The keyhole/ MICS procedures are performed for a broad spectrum of diseases.

Firstly, the commonest and the leading killer disease which affects either one , two or all three of the blood vessels within the heart musculature, is the coronary artery disease. In around 20-25% of such patients bypass procedure is the treatment of choice. The treatment for block in heart which has been performed all along with the open technique , can be done with the same precision and no less effect on its long term outcome, using the keyhole bypass surgery by experts in this field.

KEYHOLE BYPASS SURGICAL SCAR

The second group of conditions are those that affect the valves within our heart, which can either shrink or leak, causing impediment to the natural path of blood flow. Such valves were traditionally replaced after removing one’s own valve with a prosthesis. Such diseased valves can be made as functional as their pre diseased status by repairing them through small incisions. This alleviates the need for anticoagulant medications with narrow safety margin. Interestingly, valves can be replaced as well through keyhole approach.

KEYHOLE VALVE REPAIR SURGICAL SCAR

The next group is the yet another spectrum of disease conditions that affect our heart since birth. Commonly addressed as the ‘hole in the heart’, these are conditions allow admixture of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood inside our heart. Some of these conditions, like ASD (atrial septa defect) can also be repaired through the keyhole approach.

KEYHOLE ASD REPAIR SURGICAL SCAR

Our patients planned for keyhole surgery are managed by the ‘Institute Heart Team’ experts comprising the cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons, cardiologists, cardiac anaesthetists, expert nursing team with caliber to manage these patients. Our supportive team includes the perfusion technologists ,certified echo technicians, Physiotherapists and the lab staff.

Patients are assessed for their surgical fitness with the following tests

• Blood panel
• Urine screen
• Serum screen
• X ray of chest
• Imaging of abdominal viscera and chest
• Pulmonary function test
• Assessment of the carotid and peripheral arteries

Once the team decides on the procedure, the patient undergoes stabilisation of their existing medical conditions before their in house admission, the day prior to the surgery . The immediate postoperative period is spent in the ICU and the rest in the ward. The average ICU stay on average is 1-2days and the total hospital stay is on average 4-5days. Our patients spring back to their routine within a fortnight and become fit for even international air travel within this time frame....