Beating heart minimally invasive mitral valve surgery in patients with previous sternotomy: the operative technique and early outcomes.

Objective: Reoperative mitral valve surgery is increasingly required and can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The beating heart minimally invasive mitral valve surgery has a proposed benefit in avoiding the risks of repeat sternotomy, with reducing the need for adhesiolysis and cardioplegia reperfusion injury. We describe our experience with such a technique in patients with previous sternotomy.