Objective To monitor surgical quality and analyze learning curve of minimally invasive totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 150 consecutive patients who underwent minimally invasive totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery in the Guangdong General Hospital between January 2013 and December 2015. There were 60 males and 90 females at age of 43.1 years. There were 60 patients with atrial or ventricular septal defect repair, 12 patients with cardiac tumor resection, 53 patients with mitral valve replacement and 25 patients with mitral valve repair. According to the surgical sequence, all the patients were divided into 3 groups including a group A, group B, and group C with 50 patients in each group (every 10 patients as a sequence, every 5 sequence as a group). Surgical outcomes were compared among the 3 groups, and surgical quality was analyzed with descriptive statistics. Results Surgical failure rate was 6.7% (10/150). There was no in-hospital mortality. Aortic cross-clamp time, cardiopulmonary bypass time and duration of mechanical ventilation, duration of ICU stay, duration of hospital stays of the group C were significantly shorter than those of the group A and group B. Analysis showed a significant learning curve effect in totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery. When surgical cases reached about 100 cases, cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp time was shorter than the average value stably. Conclusion Totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery is safe and reliable. For the beginners, it needs about 100 patients of surgery to master the totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery.
Minimally invasive cardiac surgeries are the trend in the future. Among them, robotic cardiac surgery is the latest iteration with several key-hole incision, 3-dimentional visualization, and articulated instrumentation of 7 degree of ergonomic freedom for those complex procedures in the heart. In particular, robotic mitral valve surgery, as well as coronary artery bypass grafting, has evolved over the last decade and become the preferred method at certain specialized centers worldwide because of excellent results. Other cardiac procedures are in various stages of evolution. Stepwise innovation of robotic technology will continue to make robotic operations simpler, more efficient, and less invasive, which will encourage more surgeons to take up this technology and extend the benefits of robotic surgery to a larger patient population.
ObjectiveTo summarize the experience of totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery (TTCS) for atrial septal defect.MethodsClinical data of 442 patients undergoing TTCS for atrial septal defect from May 2008 to December 2018 in Shanghai Yodak Cardiothoracic Hospital was analyzed retrospectively. There were 149 male and 293 female patients, aged 3-74 (29.1±14.3) years. Surgical procedures were performed through 3 ports at the right chest wall.ResultsAll the operations were completed successfully. Mean operative time was 1.5-4.6 (2.2±0.3) h. The mean extracorporeal circulation and aortic cross-clamp time was 28-118 (55.9±13.3) min and 8-78 (21.5±10.2) min, respectively. Mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit stay time was 3.5-122.0 (8.1±7.4) h and 13-141 (20.7±10.2) h, respectively. Postoperation drainage volume was 70-1 280 (251.8±131.5) mL. The hospital stay was 4-16 (7.1±1.4) d. Intraoperative and postoperative complications occurred in 15 patients (3.3%). The mean follow-up time was 1-128 (67.6±33.3) months, and during the period, there were 25 patients of atrial fibrillation, 25 patients of mild-moderate tricuspid valve incompetence, 1 patient of moderate tricuspid valve incompetence. There was no reoperation or residual shunt during the period of follow-up. And the heart function was improved.ConclusionTTCS is a feasible, safe and minimal invasive approach for patients with atrial septal defect and has good short to medium-term outcomes.
ObjectiveTo summarize the experience of totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery for ventricular septal defect.MethodsClinical data of 449 patients undergoing totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery for ventricular septal defect from May 2008 to December 2018 in Shanghai Yodak Cardiothoracic Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. There were 232 male and 217 female patients, aged from 3 to 55 years with a mean age of 17.3±11.2 years.ResultsAll the operations were completed successfully. Mean operative time was 2.4±0.3 h. The mean extracorporeal circulation time and aortic cross-clamp time was 64.2±11.6 min and 28.4±10.7 min, respectively. Mechanical ventilation time and intensive care unit stay was 6.9±3.8 h and 20.5±5.6 h, respectively. Postoperation drainage quantity was 213.1±117.2 mL. The hospital stay was 6.9±1.3 d. Intraoperative and postoperative complications occurred in 11 patients (2.4%), including 1 patient of intraoperative reoperation, 3 patients of reoperation for bleeding, 3 patients of the incision infection, 2 patients of small residual shunt, 1 patient of right femoral artery incision stenosis complicated by thromboembolism and 1 patient of right pleural cavity pneumothorax. The mean follow-up time was 72.2±33.9 months. During the period, there was no reoperation, but 2 patients of ventricular septal defect small residual shunt, 1 patient of mild-moderate mitral valve and 1 patient of mild-moderate aortic valve incompetence, respectively. During the period, heart function of the patients was NYHAⅠ-Ⅱ.ConclusionTotally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery for ventricular septal defect is a safe and effective treatment, with few serious complications, fast recovery for patients and good short to medium-term outcomes.
ObjectiveTo observe the short-term therapeutic outcomes of atrial septal defects (ASD) repair using on-pump beating-heart technique assisted by robotic surgery system (Da Vinci Si) or thoracoscopy.MethodsClinical data of 50 patients undergoing ASD repair at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2015 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the different surgical methods, patients were divided into a robot group and a total thoracoscopy group. In the robot group, there were 35 patients including 11 males and 24 females, at an average age of 42.1±16.8 years, and in the total thoracoscopy group there were 15 patients including 8 males and 7 females at an average age of 38.4±10.9 years. During follow-up, the left ventricular ejection fraction, left and right atrial diameter, and right ventricular end-diastolic diameter in the cardiac Doppler echocardiography were recorded. The operation time, extracorporeal circulation time, ventilation time, postoperative ICU stay, postoperative hospital stay, perioperative pleural drainage and early complications were compared between the two groups.ResultsIn the perioperative period, the robot group had less operation time (3.8±0.3 h vs. 6.1±1.4 h), extracorporeal circulation time (72.3 ± 10.4 min vs. 139.1 ± 32.8 min), ventilation time (5.5±1.2 h vs. 9.5 ± 2.1 h), postoperative hospital stay (6.7±0.5 d vs. 9.8 ± 0.6 d) and thoracic drainage (253.4±26.8 mL vs. 289.3 ± 29.5 mL) than the total thoracoscopy group (P<0.05), while the postoperative complications were not statistically significant between the two groups (P>0.05). All patients were reviewed by color Doppler ultrasound at 1 month after operation. The postoperative dilated right atrium, right ventricle and left atrium were smaller than those before surgery.ConclusionFor patients undergoing ASD repair, robot-assisted and total thoracoscopy can achieve good results, but the robot group has more advantages in terms of operation time, extracorporeal circulation time, ventilation time, postoperative hospital stay and thoracic drainage.
ObjectiveTo introduce a new type thoracic vest designed according to the incision characteristics of female patients undergoing totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery.MethodsSixty-one female patients undergoing totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery from February 2019 to May 2020 in our department were enrolled. All female patients had hypermastia and (or) mastoptosis which covered the incision. They were randomly divided into a research group (group A, n=32) and a control group (group B, n=29). The group A used the new type thoracic vest, while the group B used the traditional single shoulder belt. The degree of satisfaction, visual analogue scale (VAS) score 24 hours after the thoracic drainage tube removed, the average time-consuming of dressing change, dressing frequency and the incision infection rate were compared between two groups.ResultsThe degree of satisfaction in the group A was higher than that of the group B (P<0.001). The VAS scores of pain, average time-consuming of dressing change and dressing frequency in the group A were less or lower than those of the group B (P<0.001). There was no statistical difference in the incision infection rate between the two groups (P=0.214), but incision infection rate of the group A was lower than that of the group B.ConclusionThe new type thoracic vest seems to be more beneficial for patients than traditional single shoulder belt. It is easy to use, increases the psychological satisfaction of patients, reduces the pain and the incision infection and improves work efficiency, which is worthy of clinical application.
ObjectiveTo summarize the early outcomes of totally thoracoscopic minimally invasive aortic valve replacement (AVR) and double valve replacement (DVR).MethodsThe clinical data of patients who underwent totally thoracoscopic minimally invasive AVR or DVR in Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital from April 2020 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into an AVR group and a DVR group according to the surgical method, and the clinical data of the two groups were compared.ResultsFinally 22 patients were enrolled, including 14 males and 8 females with an average age of 50.0±11.2 years at operation. Eight patients were degenerative disease, 8 were rheumatic heart disease combined with valvular disease, and 6 were bicuspid aortic valve. Out of the 22 patients, 16 underwent AVR alone, and 6 underwent DVR. All patients completed the operation successfully, and there was no death. Perivalvular leakage during surgery occurred in 2 patients. The average cardiopulmonary bypass time was 187.0±39.9 minutes, and aortic cross-clamping time was 117.0 (99.0, 158.0) minutes. Duration of mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit stay was 9.5 (4.8, 18.3) hours and 41.0 (34.0, 64.0) hours, respectively. The volume of chest drainage at the first 24 hours after surgery was 214.0±124.6 mL, and the postoperative hospital stay was 5.5 (4.0, 8.3) days. The cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic cross-clamping time in the DVR group were longer than those in the AVR group, and the volume of chest drainage at 24 hours after surgery was more than that in the AVR group, with a statistical difference (P＜0.05). Echocardiography before hospital discharge showed paravalvular leakage in 1 patient. There was no death during follow-up of 5.9±3.0 months. ConclusionThe early outcome of totally thoracoscopic minimally invasive AVR and DVR is satisfactory, and the approach of surgery is worth exploring.
Objective To summarize the effectiveness of Bentall procedure through the right anterior mini-incision. MethodsThe clinical data of patients who underwent Bentall via right anterior mini-incision from September 2020 to September 2021 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University were retrospectively analyzed. ResultsA total of 14 males with an average age of 55.1±9.3 years and body mass index of 24.7±2.8 kg/m2 were enrolled. The cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time was 185.6±32.9 min, the aortic cross-clamping (ACC) time was 144.8±30.3 min, the ventilation time was 18.1±13.5 h, the time in the intensive care unit was 3.7±1.8 d, and the hospital stay time was 13.4±1.6 d. Postoperative complications occurred in 5 patients: 3 patients of pleural effusion, 1 patient of pericardial effusion and 1 patient of postoperative bleeding with secondary thoracotomy hemostasis. The median follow-up time was 4 (2, 6) months. There was no mortality in the hospital or during the follow-up. As for the learning curve, the ACC time, CPB time and operation time were significantly shortened after four cases (P<0.05). ConclusionThe right anterior mini-incision for Bentall operation is safe and effective, and has clinical value.
ObjectiveTo analyze the short-term outcomes of cardiac surgery via minimally invasive approach under thoracoscope in a single-center. Methods The clinical data of patients who underwent cardiac surgery via minimally invasive approach under thoracoscope between July 2017 and February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Results A total of 453 patients were enrolled, including 150 males and 303 females at an average age of 42.2±14.6 years. The main disease types included atrial septal defect in 314 patients, partial atrioventricular septal defect in 26 patients, and cardiac tumor in 105 patients. There was no death during the perioperative period. The mean operative time was 3.9±0.8 h, cardiopulmonary bypass time was 101.2±34.0 min, aortic occlusion time was 42.1±25.1 min, ventilator assistance time was 11.6±9.4 h, ICU stay time was 22.6±13.9 h and postoperative hospital stay was 6.0±1.7 d. Intraoperative and postoperative complications occurred in 18 (4.0%) patients, including 2 patients with conversion to sternotomy, 3 with incision expand, 3 with reoperation for bleeding, 1 with of redo operation, 4 with incision infection, 2 with respiratory insufficiency, 2 with cerebrovascular accident, and 1 with ventricular fibrillation. The follow-up time was 22.6±15.4 months, during which 1 patient died, 4 patients had moderate mitral regurgitation, 1 patient had mild-moderate mitral regurgitation, and 1 patient had mild-moderate tricuspid regurgitation. Conclusion Minimally invasive cardiac surgery under thoracoscope is safe with small invasions and few complications, and has satisfactory short-term outcomes.
Objective To compare perioperative outcomes of minimally invasive aortic valve surgery by a right anterior minithoracotomy (RAMT) and conventional sternotomy. Methods A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent isolated aortic valve surgeries in our hospital between May 2021 and August 2023 with a minimal incision via the right anterior minithoracotomy approach (a RAMT group) or conventional incision via the full sternotomy approach (a conventional group). A propensity score-matching analysis was performed to balance preoperative data and compare perioperative data of the two groups. ResultsThere were 58 patients in the RAMT group, including 46 males and 12 females with an average age of 52.0±14.1 years; 128 patients were enrolled in the conventional group, including 87 males and 41 females with an average age of 60.0±12.4 years. After propensity-score matching, there were 51 patients in each group. The RAMT patients had a longer mean operation time, cross-clamping time and cardiopulmonary bypass time compared to the conventional group (all P<0.05). However, ICU length of stay, ventilator-assisted time and postoperative hospital stay were significantly shorter in the RAMT group (all P<0.05). Patients in the RAMT group had lower 24 hour chest drain output (P<0.05). RAMT was associated with a trend towards a lower blood transfusion rate in comparison to the sternotomy group, although this was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The occurrence of all-cause death, stroke and perioperative complications was also similar in both groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Right anterior mini-thoracotomy is associated with less trauma, faster recovery, less postoperative drainage, and shorter hospital stay than conventional approach. Right anterior mini-thoracotomy in patients undergoing isolated aortic valve surgery is a safe approach and can be performed by a wide range of surgeons.