What to expect during Minimal Invasive Heart Surgery?
Minimal invasive heart surgery is performed through two small incisions which is made on the right side of the heart unlike open heart surgery. It is an alternative to open heart surgery.
Just like open heart surgery minimal invasive hear surgery also requires the heart to stop pumping for some time. The patient is attached with a heart lung machine to provide oxygenated blood to the rest of the body.
Since the surgery does not require much incision it heals fast with less pain.
When is this surgery required?
Minimal invasive heart surgery is done for the following conditions:
- Mitral valve repair and replacement surgery
- Aortic valve replacement surgery
- Tricuspid valve repair and replacement surgery.
- To close foramen ovale
- Coronary artery bypass surgery
- This surgery is also useful in Saphenous veins harvest for coronary artery bypass surgery.
This surgery is not indicated for all. The doctor decides if minimal invasive surgery can be done on the patient or not, based on the patient’s medical history.
Pre operative care:
Prior to the surgery following care must be taken:
- Prior to exam the patient must undergo basic blood tests done along with ECG.
- Hair from the site of surgery must be removed before surgery
- Taking medicines as directed by the doctor
- Speak to the doctor about allergy from any drugs before the surgery
- Stop eating at least 6 hours prior to the surgery
What to expect during the procedure?
Minimal invasive heart surgery is a robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.
The manoeuvre for the surgery is same as of open heart surgery. The only difference here is that the incision is very minimal. A tube with high quality camera is inserted in the thoracic cavity. The arms of the robot are controlled by the remote which is with the surgeons who with the help of the robots perform the surgery. Just like any open heart surgery in this surgery also the patient is put on ventilator and is attached to a heart lung machine to provide oxygenated blood to the rest of the body while the heart is stopped temporarily to undergo surgery.
Post operative care
After the surgery the patient is shifted to the icu for 1-4 days depending on the condition of the patient after surgery. The patient is the shifted to the hospital room for 5-10 days. The patient is observed for post operative complications like:
- Arrhythmia
- Stroke
- Bleeding
- Wound infection
The patient is also treated for
- Hypertension
- High blood cholesterol levels
After the patient is discharged they are advised the following things:
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain a healthy and balanced diet
- Manage weight
- Reduce stress
- Avoid lifting heavy objects at least till 2 months post surgery
- Quit smoking
- Reduce alcohol consumption
- Reduce intake of caffeine
Is this surgery safe :
Minimal invasive heart surgery is quite safe as compared to the traditional open heart surgery with less risk of:
- Blood loss
- Infections
- Pain and trauma
- Faster recovery
- Less scars
When to see a doctor post operation :
Patients must see a doctor of they experience following symptoms:
- Shortness of breath
- Light headedness
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Bleeding
- Pus around the site of incision
- Redness at the sight of incision
- Pain in chest
- Fever
- Uncontrolled vomiting