The Cardiac Surgery Service at Hospiten Rambla University Hospital incorporates a new Minimally Invasive Coronary Surgery technique in the Canary Islands. A laborious procedure for the medical team but one that provides great benefits for patients.
"The philosophy of minimally invasive cardiac surgery is to be able to perform heart operations that are less surgically aggressive, while maintaining the safety and efficacy of the procedure," explains Dr. Javier Estigarribia, head of the Cardiac Surgery Unit at Hospiten Rambla University Hospital. The technique can be applied on the vast majority of patients undergoing coronary revascularization, and it is the medical-surgical team who make the decision on its suitability in each case.
"An incision of about 5 or 6 centimeters is made on the left side of the thorax and, from there, coronary artery bypass grafting is performed while the heart is beating," explains the specialist, who carries out the new procedure. The advantage of this technique over conventional surgery is that it is less aggressive for the patient as it requires small incisions, without the need to open the sternum and involves less manipulation of the aorta, thus reducing the risk of bleeding, infection and of postoperative pain, which means the patient’s hospital stay will be shorter and they will be able to return to their normal life sooner.
There is also an added esthetic benefit, with a success rate similar to that of complete off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB), which is performed in our department. It should also be noted that the procedure allows for hybrid cardiac surgery in conjunction with the Hemodynamics service.
Dr. Estigarribia states that "this pioneering technique is usually performed in just a few, very specialized centers due to its difficulty", and to introduce it at Hospiten and carry it out successfully, he did the EACTS Fellowship (European Society of Cardiothoracic Surgery), completing his training at the Leipzig Heart Center in Germany, a reference center for these procedures.
The Canary Islands have a high rate of people affected by cardiovascular disease. In addition to supporting the cutting-edge care provided by Hospiten, the specialist recommends a healthy lifestyle and regular check-ups with a cardiologist to maintain a healthy heart.
The Cardiac Surgery Unit at Hospiten Rambla University Hospital was founded in 1996 and has carried out more than 8,000 interventions. In 1996, Dr. Rafael Llorens introduced minimally invasive off-pump coronary artery surgery via a small thoracotomy, using only arterial grafts. This pioneering innovative spirit, which he has passed on to all his team, allows Hospiten Rambla University Hospital to continue to be a benchmark in this type of highly complex minimally invasive cardiac surgery.
Since then, Hospiten has fulfilled a role of providing its patients with the latest advances in the field of health.