Heart Port Surgery in South Korea

Heart Port surgery is a minimally invasive technique used to conduct major heart surgeries, including heart valve replacement and cardiac bypass. During this surgery, instead of cutting through the sternum of the rib cage to access the heart, the surgeons make several small incisions between the ribs of the patients.

Heart port procedure was initially performed under direct vision. However, with advancements in medical technology, it is now possible to conduct a heart port surgery with the help of robotic or self-possessed technology. This minimally invasive heart surgery technique has several advantages over open surgery, For example, it results in quicker recovery, fewer complications and bleeding, and the incisions heal fairly quickly.

Heart port surgery may or may not involve the placement of a port that includes different catheters and cannulae components. Such advanced medical port allows for single-step cannulation and arterial return. It also provides right heart decompression, retrograde cardioplegia delivery, and percutaneous venous drainage without affecting the view of the surgical field.

Heart port surgery cannot be used to conduct all types of cardiac procedures. However, it has been most extensively used to conduct valve replacement and atrial septal defect closure.

During a minimally invasive heart port surgery, the following steps are typically performed:

• The patient is administered anaesthesia to ensure that no discomfort is felt during the procedure.
• The body of the patient is connected to a heart-lung bypass machines that take over the functioning of the heart during the procedure. The heart port surgery is conducted on a non-beating heart. The artificial heart-lung bypass machine supplies oxygenated blood to the different parts of the body.
• An incision is made in the neck region to insert a tube into a blood vessel that supplies to the heart. Through this tube, medicines are administered to stop the heart. Sometimes, a chest port is placed prior to the surgery to administer medications.
• Several small incisions are made between the right ribs of the patient to insert specialized instruments to perform the heart surgery.
• The tools are withdrawn once the objective is met (valve replacement, defect closure etc.).
• The incisions are closed and the patient is shifted to the cardiac ICU.
• The patient is detached from the artificial heart-lung bypass machines and the normal functioning of the heart is restored.

As soon as the heart port surgery is complete, the patient is transferred to the cardiac ICU for a few hours. During this time, his or her vital signs such as breathing rate and blood pressure are monitored regularly.

Once the patient is stable, he or she is shifted to the normal hospital room. Recovery after heart port surgery takes less time as compared to open heart surgery. Patients should consult their doctor immediately if they get a fever or not any redness, swelling, or inflammation around the site of incisions.

Typically, patients are discharged within a day or two of the heart port surgery. Specific instructions with respect to medicine dosage and timings are given before discharge.