Mitral valve and atrial septal defect surgery: minimally invasive or sternotomy approach.

BACKGROUND To decrease the surgical trauma in heart procedures, minimally invasive (MI) techniques were alternatively introduced. OBJECTIVE To compare MI surgical access with median sternotomy (MS) for the treatment of mitral valve (MV) disease and atrial septal defect (ASD). METHODS Forty patients underwent surgery for correction of MV disease or ASD. Patients were divided into group A (GA) (n=20), access by right minithoracotomy and video-assistance; and group B (GB) (n=20), access by full MS. Aortic cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass time, intensive care unit (ICU) time, hospital stay and morbidity were compared in this prospective study . RESULTS Fifteen patients were submitted to MV procedures and five to ASD corrections in each group. There were 9 mitral replacements (7 bioprostetic and 2 mechanical) and 6 repairs in GA, and 10 (all bioprostetic) and five in GB. The mean aortic cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass time, in minutes, were 65.1 ± 29.3 in GA and 50.2 ± 21.4 in GB (p=0.074); and 91.8±35 in GA and 63.7±27.3 in GB ( p=0.008). The mean ICU time, in hours, were 51.7 ± 16.3 in GA and 55.8±17.5 in GB (p=0.45). The in hospital stay, in days, were 5.2 ± 1 in GA and 6.4±1.5 in GB (p=0.009). CONCLUSION MI access for correction of the MV disease and ASD implicated in a longer cardiopulmonary bypass time for finalization of the main procedure, nevertheless it didn't affect patient's recuperation. MI treated patients were discharged earlier than sternotomy treated patients.