Before the procedure
You may need to have some hair shaved before surgery. Hair may be removed in the areas of your body where the surgery will take place. Your skin is usually washed with special soap to lower the risk of infection.
During the procedure
How the surgery is done depends on the specific type of surgery you're having. Types of minimally invasive heart surgery include:
- Robot-assisted heart surgery.
- Thoracoscopic surgery, which sometimes is called a minithoracotomy.
In all types, a surgeon reaches the heart through small incisions between the ribs of the chest. A tool with a small video camera placed through one of the incisions helps the surgeon see inside the body.
You are usually connected to a heart-lung bypass machine during the surgery. The machine keeps blood moving through the body during the surgery.
Robot-assisted heart surgery
In this type of minimally invasive heart surgery, robotic arms are used to do the surgery. The surgeon controls the arms from a nearby computer station. The surgeon looks at a magnified 3D view of the heart on a video monitor. When the surgeon's arms and wrists move, the robotic arms move the same way to do the surgery.
Surgical tools are attached to the robotic arms. A surgical team at the operating table changes those tools as needed.
Thoracoscopic surgery
This type of surgery also is called a minithoracotomy. The surgeon inserts a long, thin video camera called a thoracoscope into a small incision between the ribs in your chest.
The surgeon repairs the heart using long instruments placed through small incisions between the ribs.
After the procedure
It's typical to spend one night in the intensive care unit (ICU) after minimally invasive heart surgery. You usually have:
- Fluids and medicines going through an
IV.
- Tubes to drain urine from your bladder or fluid and blood from your chest.
- Extra oxygen through a face mask or through a small plastic tube next to your nose.
After the
ICU, you move to a regular hospital room. The number of days you spend in the hospital depends on the type of surgery and your overall health.
Your health care team watches you closely while you're in the hospital. The team will:
- Watch for signs of infection.
- Check your blood pressure, breathing and heart rate.
- Work with you to manage pain.
- Get you up and walking, and help you slowly become more active.
- Show you how to do deep-breathing exercises and teach you to cough to keep your lungs clear.
- Remove all drainage tubes.
The care team gives you instructions to follow during your recovery. You'll learn how to watch for signs of infection, care for your incisions, take medicines and manage pain.
Your care team also tells you when you can get back to your daily activities, such as working, driving and exercise.