Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery - Home

Editors' Note

by W. Randolph Chitwood, Jr. and Vassilios Gulielmos

What is minimally invasive cardiac surgery?

Since the early 1980s our cardiology colleagues have continued to convince the public that heart and blood vessel repairs can and should be done through small groin punctures and after several hours patients can return home. In this context our very successful contemporary operations for coronary, valvular, and pulmonary surgery have paled in the eyes of the public. They see neighbors going to the hospital to return home several hours later and go to work the next day. This “less invasive” expectation is what the public has grown to want and demand. more »

Guest Commentary
What is minimally invasive cardiac surgery?

	"minimally invasive" is more a philosophy rather than a specific procedure..." more »
	Michael Mussallem Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Edwards Lifesciences

	"less traumatic", "superior cardiac surgery" or "competitive cardiac surgery" ... more »
	Robert Guezuraga Senior VP and President, Cardiac Surgery Medtronic

	"treatment of coronary artery disease in the manner least burdensome to the patient ..." more »
	Maria Degois-Sainz President, Cardiac Surgery Guidant

	"cardiac surgery without CPB ..." more »
	Antonio Calafiore, M.D. San Camillo DeLellis Hospital Chieti IT

	"The "Holy Grail" of heart surgery ..." more »
	Didier de Canniere, M.D., Ph.D. Hôpital Erasme - U.L.B. Brussels, Belgium

	"avoidance of both sternotomy and by pass ..." more »
	Rex Stanbridge, M.D. St. Mary's Hospital London UK