MICS Surgery in Chennai

Imagine, heart surgery does not require cracking open your chest with a large incision. With minimally invasive cardiac surgery, this imagination has become a reality. A groundbreaking procedure, MICS, paved the way for heart surgery with less pain, fewer risks, and, on top of all, faster recovery. This article will explore this revolutionary method for heart surgery in detail to understand what you can expect during and after the surgery.

Heart surgery has undergone great change in recent times, and Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery (MICS) is a result of these changes. The Surgery enables surgeons to gain access to the heart by operating through the intervals between the ribs via small incisions made by specialised tools. MICS surgery in Chennai and India is used to treat a variety of cardiac issues, which include: 

• Coronary Artery Diseases
• Heart Valve Issues
• Arrhythmias
• Atrial Septal Defects
• Aortic Stenosis
• Heart Bypass Surgeries, etc

Considering the complexity of these conditions and MICS, it is necessary to choose the best healthcare provider. This is where Gleneagles Hospital comes into the picture, a premier hospital in heart issues treatment which prioritises your safety and comfort to achieve the best possible outcome. 

Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery (MICS) is a procedure where heart surgeries are carried out through small cuts to reach the heart, often by going through the side of the chest. In contrast to open-heart surgery, where big incisions are needed to open the chest, MICS enables the surgeon to operate from small spaces between the ribs. Special devices and methods, including robotic or thoracoscopic surgery, are employed to execute the procedure. This method reduces trauma, decreases pain, and speeds up recovery times for patients.

MICS surgery is divided into several types based on the tool used for the procedure. Each type is performed according to the specific needs of the patient and the condition that is required to be treated. The two most common types of MICS are:  

• Robotic Cardiac Surgery: In this type, the surgeon uses robotic arms to perform heart surgery to ensure accuracy and precision. The setup for robotic cardiac surgery includes a console for the surgeon to view the heart in high-definition 3D, the robotic arms copy the movement of the surgeon’s hand. The surgery is beneficial for a complex heart condition which requires concise care, which is provided by this robotic system.
• Thoracoscopic Surgery (Mini-thoracotomy): Thoracoscopic surgery or Mini-thoracotomy includes making a small incision on the left side of the chest. Through this incision, a small flexible tube with a camera, also known as a thoracoscope, a type of endoscope, is inserted to provide the surgeon with clear and high-resolution images of the heart. This procedure can be used to treat a variety of heart conditions. The procedure has few complications with an advantage of faster recovery.  

Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery (MICS) offers a wide range of advantages over traditional heart surgeries used for various heart conditions, giving some good reasons why anyone suffering from a heart condition must choose this revolutionary procedure. These advantages include: 

• Reduced Pain: MICS requires smaller incisions than open-heart surgeries in which the chest is fully opened. These smaller incisions result in reduced pain due to less trauma caused to the body.
• Decreased Blood Loss: In MICS, since the incisions are smaller and more targeted, the surgical team has better control over bleeding, reducing the loss of blood during the procedure. Moreover, advanced modalities like robotic-assisted surgery can further improve precision and restrict blood loss.
• Faster Recovery: Many patients who undergo MICS can return to normal activities within a few weeks as smaller incisions result in reducing trauma, which in turn allows the patient to heal more quickly.
• Minimal Scarring: The small incision also results in less visible scars than a traditional heart surgery, which leaves a much more prominent scar along the chest. It is a valuable benefit for people to whom the cosmetic outcome is also an important factor.
• Low risk of Complication: As the procedure of MICS is less invasive, a patient may experience fewer side effects such as infections, blood clotting, other heart or lung complications, etc. 

Before performing MICS, your healthcare provider will give you some important instructions to prepare for the surgery, hence to get a positive outcome. Here are some preparatory instructions for MICS before the surgery: 

• Medications and Food: Certain medications need to be stopped before the surgery; hence, patients should discuss with their doctor to decide when to stop the medications. It is also required to discuss what to eat and drink before the surgery.
• Personal Care and Clothing: Patients are advised to bring their essential personal items only, such as any prescribed medicines, eyeglasses, hearing aids, and other personal items. It is also advised to wear loose-fit clothes for a comfortable stay at the hospital.
• Allergies and Precautions: It is your responsibility as a patient to inform your doctor about any allergy or adverse effects that you have faced in the past to reduce any risk of future complications.

The procedure for Minimally invasive cardiac surgery or simply MICS Surgery in Chennai and other parts of India, includes a few simple steps for completing this procedure, these steps are: 

• Incision Site: In contrast to the large incision through the breastbone (sternotomy) used in conventional heart surgery, MICS is done via a small incision, usually 2 to 4 inches, under the patient's breast.
• Accessing the Heart: The heart is accessed using specialised tools by navigating through the rib cage. The ribs are not incised but are slightly spread apart to gain access.
• Utilisation of Advanced Surgical Instruments: Advanced surgical instruments, such as cameras and robotic arms, are used to improve accuracy throughout the procedure. These instruments enable the surgeon to perform the procedure through the tiny incision and still have an unobstructed view of the heart.

After the completion of MICS surgery in Chennai, the patients are shifted into intensive care units for a short period to monitor the vital signs of the patient. The recovery period for patients undergoing MICS is generally less than that of open-heart or other traditional surgeries. If all the vital signs are normal and there is no risk of complications, then the patient will be transferred to the general ward for an average of 3 to 5 days before being discharged. MICS patients can expect full recovery within 2 to 4 weeks after the surgery. 

Being a minimally invasive procedure, MICS offers a lot of benefits as mentioned earlier, but in some cases, it can also bring certain risks and complications like any other surgical procedure. These risks include:  

• Infection: Although MICS is less invasive, there is still a risk of infection at the site of incision, or internally, this is the reason why proper post-operative care is required to monitor wound healing and any other potential risk.
• Bleeding: Patients with underlying health conditions or who take blood thinners have a high chance of excessive bleeding during or after the surgery, which can eventually lead to death.
• Heart Attack: In some rare cases, stress from the surgery or something going wrong during surgery might cause a heart attack. It may happen if blood circulation to the heart is interrupted during the procedure or blockages are not properly treated.
• Post-Surgical Arrhythmias: Post-operative arrhythmias, or abnormal heart rhythms, occur frequently in the initial period following heart surgery. They may be transient but will need to be treated to stabilise heart rhythm and prevent additional problems.
• Stroke: The blood clots or pieces of debris from the heart operation might travel to the brain, leading to a stroke. Though rare, it is a significant risk, especially in patients who have other risk factors for the cardiovascular system.

When it comes to the management of diseases related to a complex organ like the heart, choosing a good hospital becomes pivotal to ensure a successful result. For MICS and other heart surgeries, Gleneagles Hospital stands out as the most successful hospital not only in Chennai but also in India. Here are the reasons why the hospital is the most trusted choice of many: 

• Experienced and highly skilled cardiologists and surgeons.
• Gleneagles uses a multidisciplinary approach to give our patients the best possible outcome.
• Pioneer of using robot-assisted treatments for MICS surgery in Chennai.
• Equipped with modern and advanced tools to give our patients world-class treatments.