Efficacy of Limited Right Anterior Thoracotomy versus Median Sternotomy for Mitral Valve Replacement

Background: With low rates of reoperation, perioperative morbidity, and short-term mortality, minimally restricted right anterior thoracotomy mitral valve surgery has proven to be a viable alternative to the traditional complete sternotomy procedure.  Minimally invasive procedures are still being promoted as a way to reduce surgical trauma.
Objective:Comparing between right anterior thoracotomy versus median sternotomy for mitral valve replacement.
Patients and Methods: Prospective randomized clinical trial performed at Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Zagazig University Hospitals for one year from May 2022 to May 2023. The study included 41 patients requiring mitral valve replacement divided into group (A) 20 patients underwent mitral valve replacement by right anterior thoracotomy and the other group (B) 21 patients underwent mitral valve replacement by standard sternotomy.
Results: There was clinical and statistically significant difference between the two groups, regarding length of skin incision, 5^th day postoperative pain and modified Likert scale for wound satisfaction from 1 to 5.
Conclusion: Our study found that thoracotomy group demonstrated a quicker return to their normal lifestyle with accepted surgical scar compared to sternotomy group. The findings suggest that minimally invasive approaches like thoracotomy offer significant advantages for patients seeking a faster, more comfortable recovery process