▲ Professor Jae Suk Yoo is performing a totally 3D endoscopic minimally invasive cardiac surgery

A team led by Professor Jae Suk Yoo of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Asan Medical Center successfully performed South Korea’s first totally 3D endoscopic simultaneous aortic and mitral valve replacement to treat aortic and mitral valve insufficiency at the same time. The patient who underwent the surgery was a 79-year-old female, diagnosed with aortic and mitral valve insufficiency. She had been reluctant to undergo open-heart surgery because she needed to continue her farming work. In September, Professor Yoo performed a totally 3D endoscopic simultaneous aortic and mitral valve replacement, and the patient was discharged after a week, returning to her daily life.

Totally 3D endoscopic cardiac surgery involves an incision of 3-4cm between the ribs, smaller than the conventional minimally invasive heart surgery, to insert a 3D camera-equipped endoscope. The operating surgeon performs surgery using instruments to take over his hands while viewing the 3D images transmitted by the camera with special glasses. Previously, open-heart surgery was the only option. However, total 3D endoscopy has enabled simultaneous aortic and mitral valve surgery without incising the chest bone.

Also, the cure rate is no different than open-heart surgery. The success rate of mitral valvuloplasty, this year’s most frequently performed minimally invasive heart surgery with total 3D endoscopy, was 99%, comparable to traditional open-heart surgery. Moreover, the time for surgery and anesthesia was shortened by about 30-40 minutes because opening and closing the breastbone was not necessary. Reduced post-operative pain and minimal scarring from the absence of breastbone incision are additional benefits to lower the patient’s psychological and physical burden.

Professor Yoo said, “Totally 3D endoscopic cardiac surgery, as opposed to open-heart surgery, allows for faster recovery, making it suitable for elderly patients and those with grave concerns about open-heart surgery.”