Preoperative and operative characteristics
A total of 410 patients underwent MVr during the study period. A small right anterior thoracotomy was performed in 275 patients (RAT group), while 135 had a standard median sternotomy (ST group).
Preoperative characteristics are shown in Table 1 . There were no differences between groups in gender, race, body mass index, New York Heart Association classification, preexisting atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, renal disease, or previous stroke or myocardial infarction. RAT patients were significantly younger, had slightly higher ejection fractions, were less likely to have had previous cardiac surgery, and more likely to have posterior MV leaflet involvement, severe mitral regurgitation, and a degenerative etiology of MV disease.
Operative data is presented in Table 2. Significant differences were seen between groups for multiple variables. As compared to the ST group, the RAT group had shorter cross clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times, however, the ST group was significantly more likely to have a concomitant cardiac surgery procedure at the time of MVr. There were also differences in locations of MVrs, with more posterior repairs in the RAT group and more anterior repairs the ST group. There was one conversion to full sternotomy in the RAT group.