Objective: To report the experience gained at our Cardiosurgical Centre with the recently introduced port-access technique.
Experimental design: Prospective collection of data from the month of October 1997.
Setting: Regional University HospitaL Patients: Adult patients undergoing coronary bypass graft or mitral valve surgery.
Interventions: Port-access technique makes it possible to carry out open-heart procedures through a minithoracotomy and extrathoracic cardiopulmonary bypass with a set of properly designed catheters (Heartport EndoCPB system) for cardioplegia delivery and heart venting.
Measures: Transesophageal echography and pressure traces are the main monitoring tools used for the correct placement of these catheters and for the clinical management of the patient.
Results: Sixty-two cases have been performed so far. A complete description of the procedure, with monitoring aspects and problems encountered is thoroughly presented.
Conclusions: The major differences with traditional cardiac surgery are that interruption of myocardial perfusion is not achieved through a transversal clamp but through an endovascular occlusive balloon and that thoracic access is by minithoracotomy. Unlike traditional open surgery, the surgeon has no direct vision of the position of the clamp and the anesthesiologist can not visually inspect the contractile state of the heart. The operative team has to cope with a multifaceted system of monitored variables that must be continuously integrated and interpreted. Tight cooperation and continuous communication between anaesthesiologist, surgeons and perfusionist appear to be more important than in any other cardiac operation.