At NYU, the thoracotomy approach has become the standard for minimally invasive cardiac surgery. Instead of the standard incision through the sternum (breast bone), a small incision is made on the right or the left side of the patient’s chest. The incision length is 3-5 inches and location depends on what surgery is done.

The NYU Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery began research in less invasive forms of cardiac surgery in 1994 and introduced the Port Access approach for mitral valve surgery in an FDA sponsored trial in 1996. Since that time the use of minimally invasive cardiac surgery has expanded dramatically, and NYU surgeons now have experience in over 4,000 patients using these techniques.

Results have been exceedingly good, with an extremely low operative risk, less bleeding, less risk of infection, and shorter overall recovery. Follow-up studies have shown that minimally invasive mitral valve repair durability is equivalent to that achieved with conventional surgery. Thus, the short term risks are reduced, with equivalent long term results.

In summary, the large and extremely favorable NYU experience with minimally invasive cardiac surgery suggests that this form of less traumatic surgery is now preferred for most patients who require valve surgery. Patients requiring coronary artery bypass are risk stratified using either conventional surgery, MIDCAB (Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass) or OPCAB ("Off-Pump" Coronary Artery Bypass), which has lowered the overall risk significantly. Patients who undergo minimally invasive cardiac surgery require less blood, have fewer infections and recover more quickly. These technologies are having a dramatic impact on patient care and are improving the overall experience of cardiac surgery patients.