Comparison of right ventricular function after ministernotomy and full sternotomy aortic valve replacement: a randomized study.

Objectives: Right ventricular (RV) function is impaired after cardiac surgery, possibly because of the opening of the pericardium. In minimally invasive aortic valve replacement, the pericardium is only partially incised.

Methods: A randomized trial compared RV function after ministernotomy versus full sternotomy in 40 adults undergoing aortic valve replacement at the Karolinska University Hospital.