Coronary bypass surgery: Anyone has minimally invasive heart surgery?

Hi @fortunatum, I'm glad that you have time to do your research about coronary bypass surgery. Here's a Mayo Clinic Radio segment about the benefits fo minimally invasive and robotic heart surgery.

The Benefits of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Heart Surgery https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/podcasts/newsfeed-post/the-benefits-of-minimally-invasive-and-robotic-heart-surgery-1/

Fortunatum, did your cardiologist say that you are a candidate for the less invasive surgery?

Fortunatum,
More details please and in any case the rank order of importance of the words in "minimally invasive heart surgery" are actually heart, surgery, invasive, and lastly minimally. For me all surgeries were maximally invasive and luckily, very successful.
Best always,
s!

Hi @fortunatum and Welcome.to connect. I just finished watching the video myself and I have not had robotic surgery. I have had surgeries both open heart (my transplant) and via arteries like ablations. I did have one procedure called an external ablation where they go thru the abdomen to do an ablation to the outside areas of the heart so that's the closest I've experienced. But my experience of many types of surgeries of the heart would say that not doing an open heart means a faster recovery. For most of my non-open-heart surgeries, I was back to work within a few days to maybe a month with my pacemaker surgery. The open heart was at least 6 weeks to be able to do anything involving lifting and about 6 months before I was back to normal activities. Now realize my open heart was a transplant which is way more invasive than bypass.
The Pacemaker placement I had years ago maybe similar since they had to put wires from the device down into my heart. They did all of that thru an incision where the pacemaker was in the uper left side chest area. That one was not to bAd a recovery. I couldn't lift my arms over my shoulders and no showers for 6 weeks, baths only. But I went back to work after a couple of weeks of light-duty.

So I would say it sounds like a better option and recovery is probably pretty quick. Hopefully someone else can shed some light on the bypass portion. Is your Surgeon giving you an option?
Based on what the video said im also thinking they may say we will start as a minimum evasive but if necessary may have to switch to open heart. I would inquire about that possibility. I'll be interested in hearing how you make out, the robotic surgery sounds interesting.
Have a Blessed Day
Dana

Thanks for your input. Hope you many more years of good health.

Thanks

I need to bypass the widow maker. I was diagnosed on 2/28/2019 but refused the open heart surgery. I’ve been using medication and supplements to lower inflammation in arteries and keeping cholesterol levels down plus controlling the amount of calcium in my diet. Blood pressure is great too. Hoping my heart will regenerate around the blocked area.
I listened to the blog and will be requesting an evaluation appointment.

Haven’t talked with my current cardiologist about it yet. But I’m planing to request an appointment with a Mayo Clinic doctor. I was told by my previous cardiologist “ you are a dead man walking” if you leave the hospital and refuse the open heart surgery. That was on 2/28/19 and I’m still alive today. Thanks for the video.

Your cardiologist must be the same as mine. He told me in spring of 2019 I needed open heart surgery to replace aeortic valve and other issues. In aug of 2020 finally got in to mayo and my great cardiologist gave me better results and no need to do the evasive surgery just yet. Il repost her name because she took the time to look at all the test results and talk to me about my situation. I am so glad I went to mayo. Best of luck dave

Thanks for your input. Heart patients would be better served by getting second or even third opinions. This is 2020 and some cardiologist are stuck with heart procedures from last century. Take time to research and ask hard questions before agreeing. Stay healthy.

When I asked my doctor for a second opinion he said, "Okay, you're ugly, too!" Ba da bum! I am here all week. Tip your waitress and try the roast beef!!