Closed-chest robotic mitral repair using a semi-rigid ring inserted through a trocar.

There are several types of annuloplasty devices for mitral repair. We present a totally-thoracoscopic robotic mitral repair using a new semi-rigid ring with a nitinol core that makes it malleable so that it can be inserted through a trocar. This technique combines the advantages of semi-rigid rings and a totally-thoracoscopic approach, which may further expand this approach to other aetiologies.

Total aortic arch replacement with frozen elephant trunk technique for intramural haematoma of the thoracic aorta.

Presenting this video tutorial, we want to demonstrate a step-by-step surgical approach to acute intramural haematoma of the thoracic aorta without a definite entry tear. Limited by the aortic valve proximally, the intramural haematoma involved the aortic root, ascending aorta, aortic arch, including adjacent parts of supra-aortic branches, and descending aorta extending to the diaphragmatic level. The operative strategy involved urgent total aortic arch replacement with the frozen elephant trunk technique and anatomical reimplantation of the three supra-aortic vessels. The direct open over-the-wire technique was used to cannulate the right axillary artery, and standard venous cannulation was performed while brain protection was achieved with bilateral selective antegrade cerebral perfusion.

Re-sternotomy in complex aortic surgery: careful individualized planning for a safe opening.

An increasing number of patients have required cardiac reoperations in recent decades, and this trend is expected to continue. Hence, re-sternotomy is and will be a common practice in high-volume centres. Re-sternotomy in complex aortic reinterventions carries a high risk of injuring major vascular and heart structures. To avoid catastrophic injuries, preoperative planning and case individualization are essential to minimize complications. Designing a safe and tailored strategy for each patient is believed to have an impact on postoperative outcomes. The arterial cannulation site, the need for hypothermia, left ventricle decompression and the use of an aortic occlusion balloon catheter are some of the preoperative decisions that must be made on a case-by-case basis to ensure adequate brain and visceral perfusion and to minimize major bleeding and circulatory interruption in case of re-entry injury.

Sternal protection technique for open chest management.

On some occasions, postoperative mediastinal bleeding or right ventricular failure forces surgical teams to pursue a strategy of open-chest management and delayed sternal closure. One notable source of postoperative bleeding is the sternum, either due to medullar bleeding or bone margin oozing, which may be difficult to control. Furthermore, in cases with right ventricular failure or dilatation needing an open-chest strategy, sternal margins might erode and injure the right ventricular anterior wall. We propose a simple but effective sternal protection technique during open-chest management and further delayed chest closure. Using leftover tubing from the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit or a mediastinal 32 Fr drain, both sternal margins are covered and secured with sutures. Moreover, in case of profuse bleeding, a thrombin-derived haemostatic agent can be applied between the bone marrow and the tube for an additional level of haemostasis. The sternal wound is isolated with a latex membrane and covered with transparent sterile adhesive sheets to achieve vacuum sealing.

Closed-chest robotic repair of mitral prolapse. Surgical technique and early results.

Background: Robotic mitral repair is generally performed with four intercostal trocars and a minithoracotomy. We describe our technique and results with a totally-thoracoscopic closed chest approach using a 12 mm valveless trocar as "working port", without a minithoracotomy. We compared our results with this technique with a control group of robotic mitral repairs performed earlier with a minithoracotomy. Methods: Review of all patients with degenerative mitral valve disease who underwent robotic mitral valve repair surgery since December 2019 (n = 110). Patients with concomitant procedures (n = 8) were excluded. The remaining 102 patients were divided in two groups, depending on the approach used, minithoracotomy (n = 63) and totally thoracoscopic (n = 39). Results: There were no significant differences between groups regarding preoperative characteristics. All procedures were completed robotically as planned, and repair rate was 100%. The minithoracotomy group showed a higher percentage of leaflet resections (17.9% vs. 38.7%; p = 0.03). All surgical times were significatively reduced in the totally thoracoscopic group: Cardiopulmonary bypass (97 vs. 115 min, p = 0.0008), ischemic time (67 vs. 80 min, p = 0.0013) and total surgical time (185 vs. 225 min; p < 0.00001). There were no differences in ICU length of stay (1 day, p = 0.07) but hospital length of stay was shorter in the totally thoracoscopic group (4 days; p = 0.0001). Postoperative complications were similar between groups. MR at discharge was mild or less in all cases. Conclusions: Robotic mitral repair for degenerative disease can be safely performed as a closed-chest procedure, using a 12 mm trocar as "working port" and avoiding the need for a minithoracotomy. This approach does not seem to negatively affect the quality of the procedure by any measure, providing similar excellent clinical outcomes and repair rate. All surgical times were shorter in the closed-chest group.