Minimally invasive cardiac surgery is performed through small incisions using special surgical instrumentation (thoracoscopy). Minimally invasive cardiac surgery usually involves an incision of less than 10 cm, whereas conventional cardiac surgery incisions usually require more than 20 cm. The smaller incision results in less trauma, less chance of infection, less pain, faster recovery, shorter hospital stay, and a more aesthetically pleasing post-operative wound, which greatly improves the patient’s post-operative quality of life. (Postoperative incision photos will be provided in the next article). It is important to note that not all patients are candidates for minimally invasive surgery. Your surgeon will need to carefully weigh the possible benefits and risks of minimally invasive surgery based on your test results, and finally consider whether minimally invasive surgery is feasible. Minimally invasive heart valve surgery Heart valve disease is one of the most common heart diseases, and patients have limited activity, reduced quality of life and shorter life expectancy. The most common surgical procedures for the treatment of heart valve lesions are valve replacement and valvuloplasty. Valve replacement involves removal of the patient’s own valve and placement of a prosthetic valve (mechanical or biological), which is highly effective, but has less hemodynamic properties than the prosthetic valve and requires prolonged anticoagulation. Valvuloplasty is a treatment that surgically reshapes the patient’s own diseased valve to approximate its normal anatomy and physiologic function. Valvuloplasty is the preferred surgical procedure for mitral/tricuspid valve insufficiency. Conventional valve replacement has the following advantages over repair and shaping: 1) maximum preservation of the original valve, preserving its superior physiological and hemodynamic characteristics; 2) no long-term anticoagulant medication after surgery, improving the quality of life after surgery and avoiding complications caused by long-term anticoagulant medication; 3) for women with reproductive requirements, normal pregnancy and childbirth can be achieved after surgery. Minimally invasive heart valve surgery mainly includes valve repair/plasty, and valve replacement. Minimally invasive upper sternal small-incision multivalve surgery has the following advantages: the success rate of surgery is not significantly different from that of conventional incision, and the efficacy is definite. Only part of the upper sternum is incised, and the sternal suture is more stable and the thorax is more stable. The incision damage is small, the postoperative exudate blood is obviously reduced, the local cosmetic effect is good, and the patients are satisfied.