Port Access Surgery

I am considering the minimally invasive surgical procedure(Port Access) for replacement of a regurgitated mitral valve.
What would be the advantages and disadvantages of having this procedure done and how long is the hospital stay for the conventional procedure and the Port Access? What is the total recovery time for the Port Access procedure? Thank you very much

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

Dear Sue

If the surgery is done with a minimally invasive approach, and things go smoothly, you could be out of the hospital in 4 to 6 days. With the standard approach, the hospitalization is usually longer, from 7 - 10 days. The recovery time for either procedure is listed as six weeks, but for the minimally invasive procedure it really is more like two weeks. The scar with the minimally invasive approach is also smaller. There is no real disadvantage to the minimally invasive approach, but there is always a chance of needing it to be converted to a standard approach right at the time of surgery.

I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.

Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.