While working out on the rowing machine at a fitness studio, Harald Wolf realised something was wrong with his heart. He was worried about an irregular pulse. That was in 2010, when a defect in the aortic valve was discovered, which could initially be treated with the help of medication. Fifteen years later, the now 71-year-old had to undergo heart surgery - partly because another heart valve was not functioning properly.
The cardiac surgery department at Düsseldorf University Hospital (UKD) opted for a new procedure that is as gentle as possible, which Prof Dr Hug Aubin, Senior Consultant in the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Düsseldorf University Hospital, established. The access is made via a small incision in the armpit area, which is only around four centimetres long. “This transaxillary approach is already offered in some selected clinics. However, only very few clinics use this minimally invasive approach to operate on two heart valves at the same time,” says Prof Aubin.
Cutting through the sternum is no longer necessary
In the case of Harald Wolf, the team led by Prof Hug Aubin and senior physician Dr Christina Ballázs, together with Prof Dr Artur Lichtenberg, Director of Cardiac Surgery at the UKD, replaced the aortic valve and also reconstructed the tricuspid valve. “In order to create combined access to both heart valves, a sternotomy is normally required for this operation - in other words, a transection of the sternum,” explains Dr Ballázs. The fact that significantly smaller incisions and less invasive procedures can now be used in cardiac surgery has positive effects on patients: those suffering from heart disease fit noticeably faster after the procedure and are thus also mobile sooner, and their hospital stay is shorter. The approach via the armpit not only preserves the integrity of the chest cavity but is also cosmetically favourable, as no scar is visible from the front. “We are convinced that a minimally invasive procedure is beneficial for our patients, which has also been proven in various studies,” emphasises Prof. Aubin.
Second minimally invasive procedure with surgery on two heart valves
Harald Wolf is only the second patient at Düsseldorf University Hospital to have two heart valves operated on simultaneously via an access in the armpit area. Previously, Prof Aubin and Dr Ballázs had successfully replaced the aortic valve and reconstructed the mitral valve in another patient using this minimally invasive technique. “We can now offer a new treatment option that is significantly less invasive for our patients and - from a purely aesthetic perspective - leaves far fewer marks,” says Prof Lichtenberg. And Prof Aubin assumes that the axillary approach in heart surgery will soon be the new standard procedure for aortic valve operations, at least at the UKD.
Harald Wolf is simply happy that his operation went well. He left the UKD just about a week after the operation and will soon start rehab in order to recover as quickly as possible. “I'm optimistic about the future,” he says - and is looking forward to being able to spend a lot of time with his four grandchildren again soon.
Text/Photo © UKD