Minimally Invasive Heart Bypass Surgery - At a Glance!

A common type of heart bypass surgery is known as minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass. Often abbreviated as MIDCAB, as the name suggests, the procedure is a frequently used, minimally invasive approach to the conventional 'Coronary Artery Bypass Graft' (CABG). MIDCAB is basically a beating heart surgery, implying the fact that it is not at all required to stop the heart from beating during the surgery, which thus eliminates the requirement of heart-lung machine to pump blood and oxygen throughout the body.

The reason MIDCAB is known as "minimally invasive" is because the surgeon is not required to make a large incision or cut into the center of the chest to open the rib cage. Instead, the surgeon usually makes small incisions in the side of the chest i.e. between the ribs. MIDCAB surgery mostly results in fewer complications, faster recovery and less pain after surgery. It is often performed on a patient with one or two blocked coronary arteries. If, however, the person has three or more blocked coronary arteries, then surgeons usually performs the conventional CABG surgery.

One of the potential challenges involved in minimally invasive bypass surgeries is the complexity involved in sewing a beating heart after the surgery is complete. After the surgeon conducts surgery on the beating heart, they need to repair any incisions they have made. They have tools to help stabilize the portion of the heart that is under surgery while the surgeon is working. A type of structural support is placed into the chest cavity by the surgeon to hold the heart in place. The surgeon can perform the surgery with precision on a patient's heart as it continues to beat.

There are in fact numerous benefits offered by the minimally invasive bypass surgery. For once, there is no interruption in the supply of oxygen and other nutrients to the body. Leaving the heart active during the surgery provides an adequate supply of blood to the heart; without the need for external machines or devices to pump the blood. Also, it allows the surgeon to carry out surgery on the patient's heart while it is beating and with minimal cutting.

Some of the other benefits are highlighted and discussed below:

Reduced infection rate:

Since this type of surgery usually involves only a few discrete cuts or incisions, the patient's risk of infection is vastly reduced. Reduced exposure of the tissue to the air further minimizes the possibility of infection. There is simply less tissue displaced and exposed to potential infectious materials.

Faster recovery:

As compared with the conventional CABG surgery, MIDCAB offers significantly faster recovery times and an easier recovery period. Moreover, use of smaller incisions and the avoidance of heart-lung machine minimize the potential risk of heart stroke or failure caused by clots introduced during the surgery. Usually, a patient can return to their normal activities within two weeks.

Minimal bleeding:

In this type of surgery, the use of heart-lung bypass machine is not necessary; which leads to a considerable amount of reduction in damage to blood cells. Also, since the heart continues to pump blood through the cardiovascular system there is less risk from clotting, infection, or other causes of most post-surgery problems.

Cost-effective:

A MIDCAB surgery is also less expensive compared to the conventional CABG surgery and it involves a shorter stay of the patient in the hospital, allowing the patient to recover from their heart surgery in the comfort of their own home.

Obviously, MIDCAB surgeries provide cardiothoracic and cardiologist, and their heart disease patients, with an excellent surgical option that provides many advantages over more invasive heart surgery methods.