Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery MICS is one of the safest and immensely advanced processes of performing heart surgeries by making small incisions on the right side of your chest, contrary to the traditional open-heart surgery where the surgeons had to make large incisions to directly access the affected area. It is one of the safest and least painful procedures to treat a plethora of heart conditions.

Following are the signs and symptoms which indicate the need for minimally invasive cardiac interventions:

• Shortness of Breath 
• Persistent Chest Pain
• Fatigue
• Fainting 
• Dizziness
• Pain in Left Arm or Shoulder
• Heart Attack
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Restlessness
• Perspiration and Clammy Skin

A doctor might thoroughly evaluate the patient for the following symptoms before formulating a specific treatment plan:

• Pain or pressure in the chest (that indicates angina)
• Pain or discomfort in other body parts such as the jaw, left shoulder, arms, elbows, or back
• Shortness of breath (dyspnoea)
• Cold sweats
• Nausea and fatigue
• Light-headedness or dizziness

The symptoms may vary from person to person and some people might experience two or more symptoms simultaneously and are evaluated on the basis of different medical conditions. 

Some of the major conditions that we treat under our unit of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery include:

• Adult congenital heart disease
• Aneurysm and aortic disease
• Aortic valve disease 
• Atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias
• Carotid artery disease
• Cardiomyopathy
• Congestive heart failure
• Coronary artery disease
• Angina
• Myocardial infarction
• Genetic heart disease
• Mitral valve disease
• Pericarditis
• Paediatric congenital heart conditions
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Valvular heart disease
• Critical limb ischemia 
• Lymphedema
• Hypertensive heart disease
• Rheumatic heart disease
• Thromboembolic disease
• Venous thrombosis

The major treatment approaches used by our surgeons for performing MICS include:

Robot-Assisted Heart Surgery

MICS can be performed as a robot-assisted surgery wherein a surgeon carries out the procedure with the help of robotic arms that are controlled by a special console using precise image guidance. 

Thoracoscopic Surgery

MICS procedure is also done using a long, thin tube known as a thoracoscope which is inserted inside the chest, along with a tiny camera, via keyhole incisions. 
There are various different types of heart procedures that can be conducted using minimally invasive heart surgery, such as:

• Mitral Valve Repair and Replacement
• Tricuspid Valve Repair and Replacement
• Aortic Valve Replacement
• Atrial Septal Defect 
• Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) Closure
• Atrioventricular Septal Defect Surgery
• Maze Procedure for Atrial Fibrillation
• Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABS)
• Saphenous Vein Harvest for CABS

A larger cut takes more time to heal in comparison to a smaller one and this is one of the major perks of minimally invasive surgery over the traditional one. Some of the other benefits include the following:

• No cutting of bones or opening of the chest
• Faster recovery
• Less pain
• Lower risks of complications
• Alleviated blood loss and reduced need for blood transfusion
• Minimal scarring
• Shorter hospital stay

• Maintain a healthy lifestyle
• Exercise daily 
• Keep your sugar in check
• Don’t take stress or live/work in a stressful environment 
• Keep your blood pressure in check 
• Keep a tab on your cholesterol 
• Maintain your BMI
   

BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital has a high success rate in performing Minimally Invasive Cardiac surgeries but sometimes the risks cannot be averted and depend on the condition of a patient.

Possible complications that may arise after the surgery include:

• Bleeding
• Fever
• New or worsened pain around the wound on the chest
• Redness around your chest wound 
• Heart rhythm irregularities (arrhythmias)
• Infections of the chest wound
• Memory loss 
• Kidney problems
• Stroke or Heart attack (due to a blood clot) 

A patient must seek immediate medical help if the complications do not improve.