Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery and Septal Myectomy

Aortic valve separates the lumen of left ventricle and aorta, preventing the blood regurgitation from the aorta back to the heart. Diseases of the aortic valve, like rheumatic disease or endocarditis, can be a reason for the valve insufficiency or stenosis (sometimes the former and the latter can occur at the same time). The treatment for these conditions consists of valve replacement or repair.

The following video details a case of 84 year old male patient with severe aortic valve stenosis and septal hypertrophy (caused mostly by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). The patient underwent a minimally invasive aortic valve replacement and septal myectomy (a surgery, which entails removing a portion of the septum that is obstructing the flow of blood from the left ventricle to the aorta) through a minithoracotomy.

Video by Giovanni B. Ciuffo, MD.