Keyhole Heart Surgery

Benefits of Keyhole (Minimally Invasive) Heart Surgery

You may not realise that keyhole heart surgery is now a proven procedure and is very safe in expert hands. It is also known as minimally invasive or minimal access heart surgery. Mr Birdi and the team at The Keyhole Heart Clinic team been performing keyhole heart surgery for more that 17 years and are internationally recognised leaders. No clinical team has more experience in Keyhole Heart Surgery than Mr Birdi and his clinical team. We really are the Number 1 keyhole heart clinic service in the UK. With us you can rest assured that if keyhole heart surgery is suitable for you, then you can benefit from the many advantages listed below:

• “You do not need to have your breastbone divided so you can heal in a few days rather than 3 months”
• “Your scar can be as small as 3 inches in length compared to 12 inches with traditional treatments”
• “Your scar can be concealed from view so you can wear what you want without concern”
• “Some keyhole treatments do not need any cuts at all” and “You can avoid open heart surgery completely”

What is Keyhole Heart Surgery?

Keyhole (minimally invasive) heart surgery is an alternative to traditional open heart surgery. The techniques are well established and use smaller incisions which do not require the breastbone to be broken to perform procedures on the heart valves or the coronary arteries. The experienced surgeon uses small incisions between the ribs to access the heart which avoids any broken bones at all.

Keyhole heart surgery can treat many cardiac conditions, including mitral valve regurgitation, mitral valve stenosis, aortic valve regurgitation, aortic valve stenosis, and tricuspid valve disease. Keyhole heart surgery can also be used to perform coronary artery bypass surgery, to close holes in the heart, and to remove some heart tumours like myxomas. We can also use keyhole heart surgery to correct heart rhythm defects like atrial fibrillation.

At the Keyhole Heart Clinic, Mr Birdi and his team have been performing keyhole heart surgery for over 17 years. Our clinical team are well equipped to assess whether your condition is a good fit for minimally invasive heart surgery or if it is more suitable for you to undergo open heart surgery.

Benefits of Keyhole Heart Surgery

No Broken Bones

Traditional open heart surgery would break your breastbone to be able to conduct the surgery. Minimally invasive heart surgery doesn’t require any bones to be broken. Instead, the surgery happens through small gaps in the ribcage. As no bones will be broken, it will only take one week to heal after keyhole heart surgery, in comparison to three months for traditional breastbone division.

Smaller Scar 

Keyhole heart surgery has huge cosmetic appeal. As the surgery will use a small incision, the scar will be minimal and positioned in a place less obvious than that of open heart surgery. Most scars will be as small as 3 inches in length compared to the typical scar of 12 inches from traditional treatments. Some of our keyhole heart surgeries (like TAVI) can be performed via the groin over a wire, avoiding a scar on your chest altogether.

Less Pain And Less Chance Of Infection

As there is no need to break the breastbone for keyhole heart surgery, the pain is considerably less than that caused by traditional open heart surgery. Although you will still need to allow yourself time to recover, this is likely to only last a few days rather than months. Another of the minimally invasive heart surgery benefits is that there is little or no risk of bone infection, due to no bones being broken.

Quicker Recovery After Keyhole Heart Surgery

Recovery following traditional open heart surgery through the breastbone requires 12 weeks to fully heal the bone. Resuming activities too early can result in non-healing of the bone. When heart surgery is performed by keyhole surgery, the wounds will heal within a few days. Since there is no broken bone, patients can resume normal activities with 2 weeks.

How Can Keyhole Heart Surgery Help Me?

Discovering that you have a heart condition or that you need open-heart surgery is an unnerving experience. Mr Birdi and the team at the Keyhole Heart Clinic can offer professional advice at every step of your journey. If you have been diagnosed with a heart condition and have been told that you need open heart surgery, we can provide a complete overview of your options.

To know more about how our service works click here.

Our specialist team can also offer advice for those who have yet to receive a diagnosis but are worried about their heart health. If you’re experiencing symptoms or you have a family history of heart conditions, we can provide an insight into your current help and the next steps to be taken, if necessary. We can also offer a second opinion on your heart condition and treatment. Receiving news about your heart health will understandably leave you with a lot of questions. Our specialist team will help you understand the full scope of your condition and the options you have available.

How Can I Book an Appointment to Discuss the Keyhole Approach?

Booking an appointment with our expert team to discuss your heart condition and the minimally invasive surgery benefits is simple. Head to our main London Heart Clinic page and fill in the ‘make an appointment’ box with the relevant details. Someone from our team will be in touch to arrange an appointment in the next available day. We also offer clinics in Essex and Nottingham so we are accessible across the whole of the UK.

We offer face-to-face consultations and video consultations, so no matter where you are, you can have access to expert advice. To book a video consultation you can either fill in the online form, send us an email, or give us a call. Whether it’s in person or via video call, our consultations will help you understand your current condition and what the next steps should be. If you would like to learn more about our services before arranging an appointment, please browse our website or download a copy of our knowledge centre.

Who Can I Talk to About My Heart Condition?

When you’ve been diagnosed with a cardiac condition, or you’re concerned about your heart health, we can provide expert advice on the appropriate treatment and whether your heart condition can benefit from the keyhole approach to heart surgery. Our medical team have over 25 years’ experience in the treatment of heart disease, and each member is internationally recognised for their heart surgery and cardiology expertise.

The clinical lead and director of our Keyhole Heart Clinic is Mr Inderpaul Birdi, renowned as one of the best heart surgeons in the world, has 17 years’ experience in minimally invasive heart surgery. Please contact us if you would like to learn more about our team and our services.