Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery

Complicated heart diseases

Minimally invasive heart surgery, performed by our accredited surgeon Dr. Yanai Ben Gal, is performed at Herzliya Medical Center as part of our innovative procedures for the treatment of complicated heart diseases such as valvular dysfunctions, coronary artery diseases, and congenital heart malformations. Minimally invasive surgical techniques using direct, laparoscopic, and robotic approaches through small “key-hole” incisions with specialized instruments that are applied across many fields in medicine and recently gained extensive experience in the field of cardiothoracic surgery across the entire world. HMC Cardiothoracic Department led by Dr. Ben Gal is at the frontier of minimally invasive cardiac surgery and has gained the knowledge and experience by performing hundreds of operations a year on the most complicated of cases.

Dr. Yanai Ben Gal is the acting director of the Cardiovascular Surgery Department at the prestigious Ichilov medical center in Tel-Aviv, Israel. He had received multiple awards in the field of cardiothoracic surgery including the honorable Israeli board exam for cardiothoracic surgery and acquired vast clinical experience treating hundreds of patients. Also, Dr. Ben-Gal spent two years as an attending surgeon at Columbia University in the United States practicing innovative complex surgical techniques and published over 34 medical articles. And now he is a senior cardiothoracic surgeon at HMC.

What Does a Minimally Invasive Hear Surgery Entail?

Depending on the pathology in question, the standard surgical approach is to perform under general anesthesia. Then creating small incisions on the right side of your chest, as an alternative to open-heart surgery. Through these incisions, specialized instruments such as an ultrasound probe can provide a three-dimensional view of the heart. Another instrument that can be used is a fiber-optic camera that provides a real-time color image of the heart. The surgeons operate between the ribs and try to avoid cutting the sternum, which results in less pain and quicker recovery for most people. Specially designed operating rooms for the integrations of heart surgery and vascular catheterization were built to suit the multidisciplinary approaches acceptable today for the surgical treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Surgeries That Can Be Performed Using Minimally Invasive Techniques

Among the most common operations performed using minimally invasive techniques one can find:

• Aortic valve surgery
• Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) repair
• Atrioventricular canal defect surgery
• Maze heart surgery for the treatment of atrial fibrillation
• Mitral valve surgery
• Tricuspid valve surgery
• Placement of a miniature pump device for the treatment of congestive heart failure
• Off-pump/ beating heart bypass surgery
• Saphenous vein harvesting for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)

Who Is Suitable for Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery?

Despite the entrance of minimally invasive techniques to the field of cardiothoracic surgery, a physician should carefully assess and determine the compatibility of a certain operation on a patient. Nor every patient is in a condition suitable for a minimally invasive procedure, and a thorough patient selection is conducted before making a decision for this type of surgery. The term “patient selection” implies the process of initial assessment created by the surgeon on a specific patient, which includes a general introduction and evaluation of the current medical condition. Anatomical features, which are unique for each individual, are assessed by a physical examination combined with the help of imaging equipment, which aids the surgeon to decide the patient’s compatibility of minimally invasive surgery, as well as other important surgical parameters in order to reach the best results with a minimal chance for complications.

The Advantages of Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery

The advantages of minimally invasive procedures were examined by several clinical research studies across the world. Avoiding the incision through the sternum it is safe to say that minimally invasive surgery reduces the amount of blood loss during surgery compared to the conventional approach. Other advantages include a lower risk of infection, reduced trauma and pain, shorter recovery time in the hospital and faster recovery in general. Patients who undergo minimally invasive cardiac surgery are likely to have a quicker return to normal activities.

The Risks of a Minimally Invasive Hear Surgery

For patients who were determined to be compatible with minimally invasive heart surgery, and are operated in an experienced medical center, the risks and complications are rare. It is important to choose the right facility and make sure a team of qualified experts is handling you.

Similar to most surgical operations, the risks associated with minimally invasive heart surgery are bleeding, stroke and wound infection.

Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery Recovery Process

General discomfort or pain in the area of the incisions after the surgery is very common but usually relieved using pain medications. In cases of smooth recovery after surgery, patients will be discharged 2-5 days after surgery. HMC’s medical staff will provide you with specific instructions during your recovery, including specific guidelines for activity, incision care, diet, etc. Based on your recovery rate, you will be able to return to work, driving, and participating in non-strenuous activities within 1-4 weeks, and reach complete recovery within 5-8 weeks.

It is essential to maintain cardiovascular health after surgery by making strict lifestyle changes and stick to the medical program subscribed by your physician. Smoking, high cholesterol levels, and poor fitness can create future risks, so it is important that you maintain a healthy lifestyle to avoid future health risks.

Contact HMC today for medical consultation and quote.