Mini-Thoracotomy Access Reduces the Incidence of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation after Aortic Valve Replacement

Aortic valve replacement (AVR) is the current gold standard treatment for aortic stenosis. In the last 15 years popularity for minimally invasive (MI) AVR has grown exponentially. The most common techniques for MI-AVR are a partial sternotomy (PS) or a mini-thoracotomy (MT). Although MI access is technically more challenging and results in longer cross clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times, MI has resulted in superior outcomes. Many publications have reported reduced postoperative pain, surgical trauma, blood loss, transfusion requirements, ventilation times, hospital stay with also earlier functional recovery and better cosmesis. Reductions in the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) have also been shown.