Risk management of minimally invasive cardiac surgery

Since the initiation of port-access minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) in 1998, 350 patients have undergone the operations in our institute. With development of new instruments, the operation of mitral valve diseases and simple congenital defect has become easier. At present, it is the procedure of choice in operation of these lesions. Its weakness, however, is the limitation of visual field and working space. In order to maintain the same operative quality as median sternotomy and avoid any perioperative risk, cooperation of the anesthesiologist and the medical engineering technologist is indispensable. This paper reports on latest surgical procedure and risk management of the port-access MICS.