Welcome to the Center for Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery San Antonio web page.
San Antonio’s minimally invasive cardiac surgery program has been active since July 2003. Our program offers Minimally invasive and robotic assisted minimally invasive surgical procedures.
What is Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery?
Minimally invasive cardiac surgery is an approach that uses smaller incisions to perform cardiac surgery that previously required a larger incision. Traditional cardiac surgery uses a sternotomy for the procedure. With the aid of new technologies cardiac surgery and other procedures can be performed through much smaller incisions. Minimally invasive cardiac procedures result in faster recovery, fewer complications, and less pain after surgery. Minimally invasive cardiac surgery is believed to have the same beneficial results as conventional surgery.
What procedures are performed minimally invasive?
OPCAB
Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting is considered less invasive by avoiding the use of cardiopulmonary bypass, resulting in less surgical trauma.
Endoscopic Vessel Harvesting
Harvesting radial artery or saphenous vein with the use of a video camera allows the surgeon to harvest the vessel though a 2cm incision.
Robotic Assisted Coronary Artery Bypass
Coronary Bypass surgery can be performed in some patients with the help of the DaVinci robotic system. Surgery can be performed through very small incisions in the chest.
Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery
Mitral valve surgery can be performed through small incisions with the assistance of the DaVinci robotic system.
Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery
Some thoracic (chest) surgeries can be performed with the use of a video camera and special instrumentation avoiding much larger traditional incisions.
Robotic assisted thoracic surgery
Some thoracic procedures can be performed with the aid of the DaVinci surgical system.
Transmyocardial Revascularization (TMR)
TMR is the creation of channels through the heart muscle to aid in the relief of chest pain in patients that have very small arteries not amenable to catheter procedures or bypass surgery.
