Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery at the Clínic

The patient referred by the primary care cardiology specialist arrives at the Hospital Clínic, Barcelona. From the hospital, he is scheduled to visit a person specialising in cardiovascular surgery to evaluate if he can be a candidate for a minimally invasive cardiac operation.

Subsequently, a preoperative study is performed that consists of an echocardiogram, a catheterisation to rule out the presence of coronary artery lesions, and a vascular CT scan to rule out possible contraindications to the technique. While the preoperative study is being completed, the patient is visited by the surgeon, where they are informed of the different surgical treatment options and, subsequently, by the anaesthetists.

Once the preoperative study is complete and contraindications for the minimally invasive technique have been ruled out, the intervention is scheduled for the following days.

Recovery after surgery depends on the specific features of each patient, but most patients can return home after about 2-3 days. About 2 weeks after discharge, a visit with an advanced practice nurse (APN) is scheduled.