Surgeons in France report that they have performed the first total endoscopic aortic valve replacement (TEAVR) in 2 human patients. Their paper has been published in the the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery [subscription required].
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The new procedure may enable surgeons to replace the aortic valve without opening the chest, though it will still require cardiopulmonary bypass and excision of the old valve. The key to the new procedure is the recent availability of sutureless aortic valve bioprostheses, in this case the Medtronic 3f Enable bioprosthesis. In recent years these devices have allowed surgeons to develop “minimally invasive” surgical techniques. The new report is about the first surgical procedure in which the chest is not opened and the procedure is performed entirely through endoscopes.
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