MINIMALLY INVASIVE AORTIC VALVE SURGERY

Course overview

AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT IS THE STANDARD TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH SEVERE OR SYMPTOMATIC AORTIC INSUFFICIENCY OR AORTIC STENOSIS. IN THE PAST, THE STANDARD METHOD OF REPLACING THE AORTIC VALVE HAS BEEN VIA A MEDIAN STERNOTOMY APPROACH. HOWEVER, IN SOME PATIENTS, THIS MIDLINE ANTERIOR CHEST INCISION MAY NOT HEAL PROPERLY, CAUSE PAIN, AND BE ASSOCIATED WITH A PROLONGED RECOVERY. IN PATIENTS WITH OSTEOPOROSIS OR DIABETES, THE THINNED OUT STERNUM MAY TAKE A LONG TIME TO HEAL AND BE ASSOCIATED WITH A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PAIN. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE TECHNIQUE OF MINIMALLY AORTIC VALVE SURGERY, ITS INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH AORTIC VALVE DISEASE.