This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Marco Scarci Christopher Young Hazem Fallouh Permission Requests Google Scholar Articles by Scarci, M. Articles by Fallouh, H. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Scarci, M. Articles by Fallouh, H.

Is ministernotomy superior to conventional approach for aortic valve replacement?

Department of Cardiac Surgery, St Thomas Hospital, London, UK

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +44 75 15542899.

E-mail address: marco.scarci{at}mac.com (M. Scarci).

A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was: is ministernotomy superior to conventional approach for aortic valve replacement (AVR)? Altogether, more than 115 papers were found using the reported search, of which six represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated. We conclude that ministernotomy can be performed safely for AVR, without increased risk of death or other major complication; however, few objective advantages have been shown. Ministernotomy can be offered on the basis of patient choice and cosmesis rather than evident clinical benefit.

Key Words: Ministernotomy; Minimally invasive; Aortic valve replacement; Humans