Background: Minimally invasive cardiovascular operations have been proposed as an alternative method to correct several cardiac congenital and acquired heart diseases, with the aim to reduce morbidity and mortality.Objectives: Describe the two years initial experience with minimally invasive operations, with emphasis on technical aspects and the learning curve.Methods: Between July 2009 and March 2012, 95 patients were operated using minimally invasive operations. Mean age was 55 ± 15 years and 53% were females. The operations performed were atrial septal defect closure (25), aortic valve replacement (32), mitral valve repair (23), mitral valve replacement (12), excision of atrial myxoma (2) and resection of subaortic membrane (1). The incision was a mini right thoracotomy in 87 cases and ministernotomy in 8.Results: Early mortality was 4.2%. Mean size of the incision was 6.3 ±1.2 cm. Extension of the original thoracotomy was necessary in only one case. Two patients suffered a stroke, and the mean total blood loss was 470 ± 277 ml. There were no cases of incision infection and 67% the patients had no major morbidity. Conclusions

The Premium bioprosthetic aortic valve demonstrated very satisfactory clinical and echocardiographic results up to 4 years, similar to other commercially available, third-generation bioprosthetic valves.

No abstract

No abstract