Mitral valve replacement in beating heart through right thoracotomy: A safe option for reoperation

Abstract

Resternotomy after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a highly challenging situation, especially in the presence of patent grafts. Cardiac injury, bleeding, injury of a patent graft, especially such as the internal thoracic artery, and the difficulty of resternotomy are major problems that may increase morbidity and mortality in these patients. In this article we present a 61-year-old male patient with a previous CABG surgery who had mitral valve replacement on beating heart with the aid of cardiopulmonary bypass. On-pump beating heart normothermic mitral valve replacement without cross-clamping the aorta through right anterolateral thoracotomy is a simple and safe procedure. We think that this procedure may be a good option for reoperation especially in patients with patent bypass grafts.