Why Keyhole Heart Surgery Is More Beneficial Than Conventional Heart Surgery

Updated on March 12, 2020

If you’ve been told you require heart surgery, it can be difficult to know what to do. It’s a scary time, and often it’s something you’ve never had to consider before. Therefore, before you commit to anything, it’s best to do your research into different methods of surgery – and even more importantly – to find a London heart clinic with great reviews and doctors; one that you can trust. Here, we go through the reasons that you may opt for keyhole heart surgery over conventional heart surgery.

Minimal Scarring

When you opt for keyhole heart surgery, the incision is very small, comparatively to conventional heart surgery. Because in traditional heart surgery the breastbone is broken and your chest is opened, you are left with a large, unsightly scar down your chest. Many people are then self-conscious of this scar, find it hard to wear clothes and swimwear that conceal it, and dislike having a constant reminder on their body of their surgery ordeal. However, keyhole heart surgery is performed through either a very small incision, or no incision at all (through a catheter). This small incision will usually be made on a concealable area of the breastbone, or sometimes even on the groin. This means you can easily conceal and hide the small scar with clothing or underwear. Usually the scar is only roughly 3cm long too, whereas a traditional heart surgery scar can be the entire length of the chest, and much harder to hide.

Less Recovery Time

When you opt for keyhole surgery, you don’t undergo a breastbone cut. This means your recovery time is so much shorter, as opposed to someone who undergoes open heart, traditional surgery. You don’t need to wait long for your skin to heal, meaning you can be back to the activities you love within a matter of days and week, rather than the three months recovery time that is usually suggested for conventional heart surgery. Keyhole heart surgery is minimally invasive, so you can get back to ‘normal life’ as soon as possible. With keyhole heart surgery, as there is no broken bone, there is also no risk of bone infection, making it oftentimes a safer option.

Less Pain

Because your breastbone is not broken during keyhole surgery the recovery is less painful. When your breastbone is broken, you have to recover from the pain of broken bones and a large incision, on top of the pain you may experience after open heart surgery. When you opt for keyhole surgery, there are no broken bones, and the scarring from the incision is so minimal it heals easily and quickly. It is expected that – as anyone who goes through heart surgery would – you will still experience some discomfort, but with keyhole surgery this should be tolerable, and treatable with paracetamol; nothing out of the ordinary. 

It can be difficult to make big decisions when it comes to your health, as it can be very overwhelming. But as long as you do research and find the best option for you, you should be in safe hands.

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.