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What is it about?

This procedure is a surgical technique used to repair heart defects that babies and children are born with (congenital heart defects). Instead of opening the chest through the middle (sternotomy: a more traditional method), we can make a small incision on the side of the chest, near the right armpit (vertical right axillary thoracotomy). This approach is less invasive, causes less visible scarring, and helps with quicker recovery.

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Why is it important?

This technique is important because it provides a safe and less invasive way to treat congenital heart defects in infants and children. Key benefits include: 1. Less scarring: The incision is smaller and less visible, which is especially significant for children as they grow. It also minimizes the long-term psychological impact incisions and surgeries have on children. 2. Faster recovery: Minimally invasive surgeries often result in less pain and shorter hospital stays, allowing children to return to normal activities more quickly. 3. Reduced risks: avoiding a large incision in the chest minimizes the risk of complication like infections and reduces trauma to the body. 4. Improved long-term outcomes: by preserving the chest structure and muscles, this technique can help children avoid issues with growth and development later in life. This is an effective way to address serious heart problems while improving the child's quality of life and overall experience with surgery.

Perspectives

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I believe this approach should be considered the standard of care for repairing a wide variety of heart defect sin infants and children. The improved cosmesis, the short hospital stays and the rapid return to unrestricted activity make this approach worth considering. The concerns related to safety, and breast and/or musculoskeletal deformities are theoretical and are not supported by the currently available data.

Sameh Said
Westchester Medical Center Health Network

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Right Axillary Thoracotomy Should Be the Standard of Care for Repair of Non-Complex Congenital Heart Defects in Infants and Children, Congenital Heart Disease, January 2024, Tsinghua University Press,
DOI: 10.32604/chd.2024.055636.
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