Research Assessment #8

Name: Milind Renjit

Date: 10/24/18

Subject: Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery

Teacher: Mrs. Brittain

MLA citation:  

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Mayo Clinic. “Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 23 Mar. 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/minimally-invasive-heart-surgery/about/pac-20384895.

 

Assessment:

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For the sixth research assessment, a detailed look at the growing field of minimally invasive cardiac surgery is what would offer me the most interesting topic to research. This article titled, “Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery”, is an informational article published by the Mayo Clinic. Being one of the top-rated hospitals in the world, the information given can be trusted and extremely resourceful. This article discusses every aspect of minimally invasive surgery in the modern era. Everything from the pros and cons of this form of procedure to the type of clothing or the food a patient is allowed to eat. Since minimally invasive procedures are building up the vast majority of the learning as much as I can about the topic can really help me become more knowledgeable about my dream career. This whole article has made me gain a lot more of an understanding of the field and how the future is shaping out for Cardiothoracic Surgery.

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The article starts off by defining what parameters minimally invasive cardiac surgery entails. What interested me the most is the fact that minimally invasive procedures are completely done from within the ribs of the best without any ribs being broken or the heart being exposed. Amazingly it seems almost impossible to do such a thing without a clear view of the inside of the chest, but a lot of the time the surgery are done with the help of cameras and even sometimes with robots. This truly shows how technology is becoming an increasingly important part of medicine. Especially the involvement of robotics in a day to day surgeries has increased the precision and safety of these surgeries.

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Minimally invasive cardiac surgeries are performed usually for Mitral valve repair and replacement, Tricuspid valve repair and replacement, Aortic valve replacement, Atrial septal defect and patent foramen ovale closure, Atrioventricular septal defect surgery, Maze procedure for atrial fibrillation, Coronary artery bypass surgery, and Saphenous vein harvest for coronary artery bypass surgery. The reason all these surgeries have the option to be done in this form is due to the many risks that can come from them being done through open heart surgery. Minimally invasive cardiac surgery allows for less blood loss, lower risk of infection, reduced trauma and pain shorter time in the hospital, faster recovery, and smaller/less noticeable scar. Seeing all these pros had allowed me to be able to see the high demand for this form and the gradual backtracking from open heart surgeries. However there are a few drawbacks that can arise like, bleeding, stroke, wound infection, irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias), or death. On the bright side, these are all issues that the original method have had as side effects over the years. It is truly astonishing to see the evolution of cardiothoracic surgery straying so far from its major form of open heart surgery. But no matter how fundamental the method is, time and further advancements of the technology and medicine will eventually fully phase out open heart surgery for the more advanced minimally invasive cardiac surgery.

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In conclusion, the evolution of cardiothoracic surgery has come to a point where the fundamental practice of open-heart surgery is being replaced with minimally invasive surgery. This method is seen to be the future of the field due to the many positives that open heart surgery can not offer. Learning about the various aspects of minimally invasive cardiac surgery is something that I am very grateful for. Having the ability to be relatively knowledgeable on the very basics of the method can allow me a better understanding, and also prepares me for the most likely method of the choice when I become a Cardiothoracic Surgeon. Allowing for a better future for the doctors and patients.