Minimally invasive mitral valve repair: Faster healing and less pain for mitral valve care

In either case, the heart must work harder than before, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, fluid buildup in the legs (edema), fluid buildup in the lungs (pulmonary edema), and heart palpitations. If the valve is severely damaged, you may need valve repair or replacement.

UW Health offers minimally invasive mitral valve surgery that provides excellent outcomes with less impact than traditional open chest surgery. Specific benefits of this option:

• Your sternum is not opened and no bones need to be transected

• Smaller incision

• Less pain, which means less need for opioid pain medication

• Less time in the hospital

• Faster healing and shorter recovery

• Quicker return to normal activities

Repair vs. replacement

Depending on your situation, the surgeon will recommend either repairing your mitral valve or replacing it with a new one. In general, there are more advantages to repairing the mitral valve, such as not having to take blood thinners. Either way, you will be well cared for by UW Health’s minimally invasive mitral valve team, which is led by a highly experienced heart surgeon, Dr. Andreas de Biasi.

A small percentage of patients who need mitral valve treatment for mitral regurgitation cannot undergo traditional, or even minimally invasive, surgery, but can be treated with a non-surgical procedure using the MitraClip device to help the valve close more completely.

Several factors determine whether you might be a candidate for the minimally invasive approach, including:

• Your heart’s condition

• Your lifestyle, such as whether you smoke or have a body mass index (BMI) over 30

• Your medical history

• Whether you need other procedures at the time of the mitral valve surgery

You may also have a CT scan and/or a cardiac catheterization that lets us examine the arteries on your heart.

Once the operation begins, the surgeon will:

• Make an incision, about 1½ to 2 inches long, between your ribs just to the right of your breast bone

• Insert special minimally invasive surgical instruments and a small surgical camera

• Perform the repair or replacement of the mitral valve using these instruments

• Ensure that everything is working properly and close the incision with stitches

Recovery

You will spend a few days in the hospital recovering from surgery. Once you go home, you will probably feel more tired than normal for a few weeks. Your surgeon will tell you when it is OK to return to work and other activities. You will need to avoid heavy lifting for several weeks.

Possible risks include:

• Infection

• Bleeding

• Irregular heart rhythms, possibly requiring a permanent pacemaker

• Blood clots leading to stroke or heart attack

• Complications from anesthesia

• Damage to the arteries in the legs

• Inability to complete the procedure as planned, resulting in standard open-chest surgery

• Stroke

Certain factors increase the risk of complications, such as:

• Chronic illness

• Other heart conditions

• Lung problems

• Increased age

• Being obese

• Being a smoker

• Infections

• Vascular disease