 | | Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery and Bloodless Heart Surgery Center | | Dr. Ciuffo's guide to the best options in modern heart surgery |
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Find your answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions in Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery
The prospect of open heart surgery brings obviously a lot of questions and fears about what to expect. I'll answer the most common questions and concerns I hear from my patients and their families. Please, feel free to ask me any question and I'll be glad to post the answers for all our readers.
- How risky is a mitral valve repair operation? In experienced hands an elective mitral valve repair carries a risk of less than 1%
- Can a leaky mitral valve be repaired RATHER THAN replaced with an artificial valve? An expert mitral valve surgeon can repair a leaky mitral valve in over 95% of the cases. Always insist on a repair. It is a much better option. If your doctor does not have the necessary expertise, consider consulting an expert mitral valve surgeon. Nowadays quite a number of patients take the initiative to travel out of town to get a good valve repair...definitely worth it!!
- Isn't an Aortic Valve Replacement too dangerous in my frail 80 year old mother? Absolutely not! It is actually a true life saver with great improvements in quality of life and longevity. Don't lose sight of an obvious reality: severe aortic stenosis is a guaranteed killer. The operation is the solution, NOT the problem!! Minimally invasive techniques allow a fast recovery even in elderly frail patients who are often out of bed and walking the day after surgery.
- How big is the scar after a minimally invasive operation? A minimally invasive heart surgery expert can perform the operation through a 2" long incision. This tiny scar is often completely hidden in the skin fold underneath the right breast and looks pretty much the same as a plastic surgery breast scar. It will be invisible no matter what you wear!
- What's a Minithoracotomy? It is a 2" incision carried out between two ribs on the side of the chest. We don't use ANY bone cutting or incision in the middle of the chest. This approach allows excellent access to the heart valves and coronary arteries to perform minimally invasive heart operations with great safety and accuracy.
- What's Osteoporosis? It is a condition that makes your bones very brittle because of a low calcium level. It is very common in postmenopausal women. It can negatively affect the ability to heal a split breast bone after traditional open heart surgery. This problem is completely avoided when a minithoracotomy is used instead of a median sternotomy.
- Which specific operations can be performed through a minimally invasive incision? We routinely use these techniques for almost everything that is commonly treated with Heart Surgery, including Aortic, Mitral and Tricuspid Valve repairs or replacements, Atrial Septal Defect Repairs, Ventricular Septal Defect Repairs, Redo operations, Maze Procedures, coronary bypass, atrial myxomas, intracardiac tumors, placement of biventricular pacemaker leads, ligation of coronary aneurysms and fistulas, excision of extracardiac tumors. If your doctor is not familiar with these advanced techniques, you should seriously consider consulting with a reputable Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery Center.
- Am I a suitable candidate for a Minimally Invasive Procedure? Maybe! This decision can only be made after a thourough evaluation. Dr. Ciuffo personally evaluates and examines each patient to determine if a minimally invasive procedure is indicated and feasible.
- How long is the recovery after this type of surgery? Most patients are back on their feet in less than 24 hours and are discharged home in two days. This recovery is a lot faster and affords a much higher comfort level than surgery performed through a sternotomy (splitting of the breast bone). I normally recommend one or two weeks of rest before resuming full physical and work activity.
- How much pain do you feel after surgery? Very little!! A minithoracotomy wound is so small that it can be completely numbed up with local anesthetic agents. Most minimally invasive surgery patients wake up groggy but absolutely pain free and can comfortably get out of bed the same day.
- Is there any good alternative to surgery for a severely leaky or clogged up valve? No, there isn't! These are permanent mechanical malfunctions that can only get worse with time. They require a very precise surgical correction to give our patients a reliable and permanent solution to their problem.
- Can I wait or do I have to do it right away? Every case is different and should be discussed with an expert minimally invasive heart surgeon. If you have a severe valve leakage or stenosis and symptoms you are much better off with an early valve operation.
- Can minimally invasive surgery be used in reoperations? Yes. These techniques have been applied in redo operations. Each patient, though, needs to be evaluated individually to see if he or she is a suitable candidate.
- What happens if I don't get the surgery? The heart will progressively and irreversibly enlarge and your symptoms will increase in severity with the onset of congestive heart failure, water in your lungs, leg swelling and profound shortness of breath and weakness. Your heart rhythm will often become irregular (atrial fibrillation) and require blood thinners to help prevent strokes. In other words, it is not a good idea: you won't live as long OR as well as a patient who had a successful valve operation.
- I live far from your Heart Surgery Center. How soon can I travel back home after a Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery procedure? What about lodgings? I see a growing number of patients who come from other states to enjoy the benefits of a minimally invasive and/or bloodless heart surgery option. The Akron-Canton airport is only ten minutes away from our center. The area is also easily reached by AMTRAK trains and by car. Patients are often ready to fly or drive back home shortly after their discharge from the hospital. My office assistants are very knowledgeable about local hotels and lodging solutions with hospital discount rates for our out of town patients. Do not hesitate to call and we will be able to help you coordinate your stay. Please note that every heart surgery patient treated in our center is accommodated in a private room at no extra cost with a convertible sofa available for a friend or a relative to stay overnight if they wish to do so. Most patients are allowed to travel back home within a week. I personally examine each patient prior to giving my final "blessing" for the flight back home.
- Is any home care available after surgery? We arrange a Visiting Nurse Service and home physical therapy for most of our patients. Each patient is instructed to call me directly for any postop questions or comments.
If you have concerning symptoms or you know that you have coronary, aortic or mitral valve disease start looking for a good Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery Center to discuss your best options to restore a perfectly normal life style and life expectancy. If there is no expertise in this type of repairs and surgery in your region, it is well worth a trip out of town to have these options available. It's your heart, it's your body, it's your life!
Contact Dr. Ciuffo
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