Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery: Evolving Techniques and Clinical Outcomes

This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the current state of minimally invasive cardiac surgery, encompassing port-access, mini-sternotomy, and minithoracotomy approaches for valvular, coronary, and structural heart disease. It critically examines the growing body of evidence supporting reduced morbidity, shorter hospital stays, and faster patient recovery associated with these techniques. Emerging innovations in instrumentation, visualization, and operative training are also discussed in the context of expanding institutional adoption worldwide.