Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical techniques have been widely adopted as a means to reduce surgical trauma. By adapting pediatric thoracoscopic instrumentation, we have developed a technique for video-assisted cardioscopy (VAC). We report our experience and describe the technical feasibility of VAC.
Methods: Since June 1995, 409 consecutive patients underwent 431 intracardiac procedures (ventricular septal defect, 150; tetralogy of Fallot or double outlet right ventricle, 101; atrioventricular canal, 52; subaortic stenosis, 43; valve repair, 50; Rastelli procedure, 12; Konno or Ross Konno operation, 11; and miscellaneous, 12) using VAC at Miami Children's Hospital. Using a prospective database, we tracked outcomes and operative events to delineate the usefulness and efficacy of this technique.
Results: VAC provided clear and precise imaging of small or remote intracardiac structures during repair of congenital heart defects without technical complications. Procedure times and aortic cross-clamp times using VAC were not prolonged. Intraoperative images were collected for every operation, documenting each patient's cardiac anatomy before and after repair. Surgery through small incisions was facilitated. Operative mortality was 1.2% (5 of 409), and no patient required reoperation before discharge. At a mean follow-up interval of 22 months, the incidence of reoperation for residual or recurrent lesions was 1.2% (5 of 404).
Conclusions: Our experience demonstrates the technical feasibility and clinical utility of routine endoscopic imaging during open heart surgery for congenital heart repair.