Minimally Invasive Concomitant Aortic And Mitral Valve Surgery - Initial Experience Of A Single Centre.

INTRODUCTION: Valve surgery through a median sternotomy has been the standard approach, but in the past decade various minimally invasive procedures have gained increasing traction among physicians and patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present a series of three patients submitted to minimally invasive combined aortic and mitral valve surgery, performed through right lateral thoracotomy. RESULTS: We report no postoperative complication or mortality. Mean length of stay was 5 days, with a self-reported pain score 2/5 (mild/annoying pain). CONCLUSIONS: We report our initial experience, describing surgical technique and postoperative results, showing this technique to be safe, reproductible and comparable to conventional surgery.

CARDIAC PAPILLARY FIBROELASTOMA: A CASE WITH UNPRECEDENTED SPREAD.

INTRODUCTION: Papillary fibroelastomas (PFE) are a rare primary cardiac neoplasm, out of which multifocal PFE constitute a small minority of cases. These benign masses are commonly found on valvular surfaces, particularly the aortic valve. CLINICAL CASE: We present a patient with a history of embolic stroke and intra-cardiac masses. Multimodal imaging revealed multiple nodules with extensive intra-cardiac distribution. All nodules were successfully removed without valve dysfunction. CONCLUSION: This is a unique case of multiple PFE involving intracardiac cavities as well as all valvular structures.