Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repair. Learn Why it is your Best Option.

The purpose of this article is to bring the reader up to date on the overwhelming advantage of minimally invasive mitral valve repair over the old fashioned ways to deal with mitral valve disease.
The mitral valve is a one-way valve in the left side of the heart that can be affected by two main problems:
1. It can be thickened and heavily calcified and therefore it will not open well, a condition known as Mitral Valve Stenosis
2. It has a severe leakage because of a deformity or localized tissue break that prevents it from closing well, a conditionpathology known as Mitral Valve Insufficiency
If these malfunctions are severely advanced, they can cause damage beyond repair to the heart muscle itself and need to be corrected before it is too late. Here is my advice on your best surgical choices:
• The first thing to know is that a mitral valve REPAIR is infinitely better than a REPLACEMENT with a new prosthetic valve. You get to keep your own valve and therefore do not need to take blood thinners for the rest of your life. Our statistical studies show that patients who underwent a mitral valve repair live longer and better than those who had a valve replacement.
• Manycardiac surgeons who do not have expertise in repair techniques are likely to replace a valve that could easily be repaired. In the hands of an experienced mitral valve surgeon a repair is possible in well over 95% of the times.
• Most heart surgeons will perform mitral valve surgery by splitting the breast bone through a 12" long incision in the middle of the chest. In the hands of an expert minimally invasive heart surgeon a mitral valve operation can be performed safely and with great accuracy through a tiny chest incision that is thouroughly hidden in the skin fold under the right breast. This minimally invasive approach is characterized by much less pain or bleeding, a quick recovery with most patients going home two days after surgery. The cosmetic results are clearly superior and wound infections are almost unheard of. In the hands of an expert surgeon the minimally invasive technique can be successfully carried out in over 94% of the cases.
If you or a someone you care for need a mitral valve operation ASK for a Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repair. If they don't have local expertise, it is worthwhile to seek a second opinion in a Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery Center. After all it is once in a lifetimel and there is nothing to be bashful about when you are looking for your best option!
More information and plenty of pictures about Dr. Giovanni Ciuffo and his revolutionary minimally invasive heart surgery techniques are available at www.bigappleheartsurgery.com/page18.php

Dr. Giovanni B. Ciuffo is a "superspecialist" in Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery and Bloodless Heart Surgery. Read more about it at www.bigappleheartsurgery.com  He currently runs a busy Cardiothoracic Surgery practice at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, where he cares for numerous patients coming from the Tri-State Area and the rest of the country.