Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery at Sentara 

Rapidly growing advances in minimally invasive heart surgery are yielding faster recoveries and improving patient satisfaction and comfort with less visible scarring for those who need heart valve surgery. Heart valve repair is the most common minimally invasive heart surgery. At Sentara Heart Hospital, cardiothoracic surgeons use minimally invasive procedures for:

Mitral valve repair or replacement
Aortic valve repair or replacement
Tricuspid valve repair or replacement
Atrial septal defect repairs
MAZE procedure for atrial fibrillation

In general, minimally invasive heart surgery means your cardiac surgeon:

will make a smaller incision without splitting the breast bone
will be able to see the heart with a camera for a better view of the heart and
will use specialized surgical instruments that permit the surgeon to operate on the heart in a smaller space.

Whenever possible, minimally invasive heart surgery is being routinely performed for most single-valve repair and replacement surgeries when possible, because of the benefit to patients.

Your surgeon will work with you to determine whether you are a candidate for minimally invasive heart surgery. It is important to discuss repair or replacement options in advance of the procedure. In most cases, your surgeon can only be sure after surgery begins whether a damaged valve can be repaired or will have to be replaced.

To Find Out More
If you or someone you know is considering surgery for mitral valve repair or replacement, or aortic valve repair or replacement, learn more about minimally invasive heart surgery available at Sentara Heart Hospital. Check out the links below for additional information.

Who is a candidate for minimally invasive heart surgery?
What are the signs and symptoms of heart valve disorders?
Valve-repair or replacement?
What are the benefits of minimally invasive heart surgery?
What should patients expect after surgery?
Your Sentara surgical team
FAQs about minimally invasive heart surgery
Terms used in minimally invasive heart surgery