Minimally-Invasive Surgery of Mitral Valve. State of the Art

Minimally-invasive mitral valve surgery has been in development during the last thirty years and now allows to perform mitral and tricuspid interventions, coronary bypass surgery, repair of congenital heart defects and more. Current state-of-the-art technology and clinical knowledge make possible to offer this approach in expert centers to a growing number of patients, who benefit from its advantages. Minimally-invasive mitral surgery is becoming the best option to repair que mitral valve and patients are able to recover better and faster than after conventional surgery without compromising quality of the repair. With the aid of high-definition 3D visualization and specifically designed instruments, including robotic telemanipulation, thoracoscopic and robotic surgery performed this way require only small incisions in the right chest. In the present chapter we will expose the current state of this field, going into detail regarding patient selection and operative techniques, and also reviewing the requirements for building a successful program