What is Minimally Invasive?

Performing heart surgery with minimal incisions means performing both heart valve replacement and coronary bypass surgeries while the heart is working, by entering from the sides of the chest, between the ribs, without disrupting the integrity of the chest wall, that is, without performing a splitting of the chest in the middle, called sternotomy. Each of them has different techniques.

For heart valves, heart surgery is performed with minimal incisions under the right armpit. In coronary bypass surgery, if there is only one vessel depending on the number of vessels, bypass surgery is performed through small 7-8 centimeter incisions under the breast. Sometimes, when there are two veins, bypass surgery can be performed from the left side, opposite the right side, from the armpit.

Minimally invasive surgery, which can be used in other surgical operations as well as heart surgeries, reduces the risks associated with surgery. After minimally invasive surgery performed with a small incision, patients feel better psychologically as the surgical scar is not visible.