Abstract： Objective To explore the application of lower sternal incision with on-pump， beating heart intracardiac procedures in mitral valve replacement （MVR）. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 42 patients （minimal incision group） with valvular heart diseases who underwent MVR via lower sternal incision under the beating heart condition in Xinqiao Hospital of the Third Military Medical University from January 2011 to December 2011. There were 16 male and 26 female patients with their average age of 42.3±12.7 years in the minimal incision group. We also randomly selected 42 patients with valvular heart diseases who underwent MVR via routine midline sternotomy during the same period in our department as the control group. There were 18 male and 24 female patients with their average age of 43.8±13.1 years in the control group. Operation time， cardiopulmonary bypass time， major complications， chest drainage in postoperative 24 hours， skin incision length and average postoperative hospital stay were observed and compared between the two groups. Results There was no major perioperative complication such as in-hospital death. There was no reexploration for postoperative bleeding， complete atrioventricular block， embolism or perivalvular leakage in the minimal incision group. There was no statistical difference in cardiopulmonary bypass time， operation time， or the incidence of reexploration for postoperative bleeding， wound infection and perivalvular leakage between the two groups（P＞0.05）. The skin incision length in the minimal incision group was shortened by 5.2 cm compared to that in the control group （7.9±1.4 cm vs. 13.1±3.3 cm， P=0.000）. Chest drainage in postoperative 24 hours in the minimal incision group was significantly less than that of the control group （183.6±40.2 ml vs. 273.4±59.9 ml， P=0.000）. Postoperative hospital stay in the minimal incision group was significantly shorter than that of the control group （8.1±1.3 d vs. 10.6±2.1 d， P=0.000）. Forty patients in the minimal incision group were followed up for 3-15 months and 2 patients were lost during follow-up. Four patients had postoperative wound pain， and the majority of patients didn’t have significant wound scar formation but a satisfactory quality of life. Thirty-eight patients in the control group were followed up for 3-15 months， 4 patients were lost during follow-up， and 17 patients had postoperative wound pain. Conclusion Lower sternal incision with beating heart can reduce the surgical injury， simplify the operation procedure and improve the therapeutic efficacy. It is a safe， effective and esthetic surgical approach for MVR.
Objective To compare the clinical results of different thoracic incision approaches for congenital heart disease in children. Methods Retrospective analyses of the clinical results of different thoracic incision approaches for 1 669 children with congenital heart disease was performed. All patients were divided into median sternotomy group(Med group), right thoracotomy group (Rat group),and lower partial median sternotomy group (Pt group) according to different thoracic incision. Two hundred and forty five children underwent atrial septal defect(ASD) repair, 1 005 children underwent ventricular septal defect(VSD) repair and 419 children underwent tetralogy of Fallot(TOF) correct repair from Jan. 1999 to Dec. 2001. Results In ASD repair the incidence of pulmonary complications after operation in the Rat group was significantly higher than that in Med group and Pt group ( P lt;0 05). The percentage of pulmonary hypertension before operation in Med group was significantly greater than th...更多at in the Rat group and Pt group ( P lt;0 05), but the incidence of pulmonary complications in Rat group was significantly higher than that in the Med group and Pt group in children with VSD( P lt;0 05). The concentration of hemoglobin , the oxygen saturation and the percentage of transannular patch in Med group were significantly higher, lower and greater respectively than those in the Pt group and in Rat group in children with TOF( P lt;0 05). Conclusion The approaches to be selected should guarantee to correct the cardiac anomaly satisfactorily, reduce the postoperative complications maximally and ensure success of their operations.