Minimally invasive heart surgery is performed through a small incision, often using specialized surgical instruments. The incision is about 2 to 4 inches instead of the 6- to 8-inch incision required for open surgery.

The benefits of minimally invasive heart surgery include a smaller incision and scar, lower risk of infection, less bleeding, less trauma, decreased hospital stay and quicker recovery time. The average stay after minimally invasive cardiac surgery is 3 to 5 days, while the average stay after traditional open surgery is 5 days.

A variety of procedures can be done through minimally invasive cardiac surgery, including valve repair, valve replacement, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and atrial fibrillation.