Advantages and disadvantages of minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS)

The article was consulted with Dr. Nguyen Luong Tan - Head of Cardiology Department - Cardiovascular Center - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

Minimally invasive open-heart surgery is an inevitable trend of medicine in the world as well as in Vietnam because of the outstanding advantages that this method brings in cardiovascular surgery.

Minimally invasive cardiac surgery is defined as all open-heart surgery that does not open the entire sternum but can be through short incisions in the lateral chest or open along a part of the sternum, possibly combined with endoscopic support. assisted, complete endoscopy and no endoscopy. Extracorporeal circulation can be thoracic or peripheral centered or without the use of extracorporeal circulation.
In Vietnam, the minimally invasive heart surgery method is applied in the treatment of cardiovascular disease for both older children and adults. This is the development trend of medicine in the world as well as in our country. However, not all medical facilities are capable of applying minimally invasive open-heart surgery and laparoscopic surgery to treat cardiovascular disease, especially in older children.
Usually, to perform heart surgery, doctors access the heart through an incision in the middle of the breastbone. This not only risks leaving a long scar, but also causes many complications when having to separate the sternum (which causes this part of the bone to bulge in girls). Therefore, minimally invasive open-heart surgery under endoscopic guidance is applied to minimize the need for deep intervention in the sternum.
To perform well the minimally invasive heart surgery method, it requires the doctor to be very proficient in classic surgery and have high expertise in the field of cardiovascular surgery. When doing heart surgery for a patient, the heart will stop beating, the lungs will not work, but still have to keep the patient alive and the prognosis stable. Therefore, in order to intervene with heart damage, the doctor will have to repair in the damaged areas through a very small thoracic incision (less invasive nature) and requires a video system of the endoscope to support the diagnosis. better view of the surgical site. The surgical instruments equipped for the operation must also be specialized tools for laparoscopic heart surgery.

2.1. Advantages High aesthetics, small surgical scars Less pain from incisions Less blood loss, less blood transfusions Less post-operative atrial fibrillation, Quick wound healing, Avoiding complications of sternum inflammation, Reduced time spent in the ICU as well as hospital stay Fast recovery after surgery 2.2. Cons: Strict patient selection criteria. Trained surgeons Complicated equipment and maintenance procedures Prolong the time of anesthesia, surgery, aortic pairing, and machine operation Increased risk of dissection aortic dissection Increases stroke risk Increases risk of phrenic nerve palsy Increases risk of complications with peripheral vascular canulas Increases treatment costs...

Minimally invasive cardiac surgery for simple, low- and moderate-risk heart disease. Patients need early examination for surgery when the risk of disease is not high. Vinmec Hospital has fully qualified human resources and modern surgical equipment with high treatment efficiency.

In April & May 2021, when there is a need for medical examination and treatment at Vinmec Times City International General Hospital, customers will enjoy dual incentives:
- Free specialist examination and discount 50% of many cardiac checkup packages such as:
+ Basic Cardiovascular Screening Package
+ Hypertension Checkup Package
+ Heart Failure Checkup Package
+ Coronary Cardiovascular Examination Package
+ Comprehensive Cardiovascular Checkup Package
- 50 off % of cost for customers with post-examination treatment indications. The program is limited to the corresponding technique of each hospital and to customers who perform this treatment technique for the first time at Vinmec.