Open Access

REVIEW

Right Axillary Thoracotomy Should Be the Standard of Care for Repair of Non-Complex Congenital Heart Defects in Infants and Children

Sameh M. Said^1,2,*, Yasin Essa¹

1 Division of Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, New York, NY 10595, USA
2 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 5372066, Egypt

* Corresponding Author: Sameh M. Said. Email:

Congenital Heart Disease 2024, 19(4), 407-417. https://doi.org/10.32604/chd.2024.055636

Received 03 July 2024; Accepted 30 September 2024; Issue published 31 October 2024

Abstract

Minimally invasive approaches for cardiac surgery in children have been lagging in comparison to the adult world. A wide range of the most common congenital heart defects in infants and children can be repaired successfully through a variety of non-sternotomy incisions. This has been shown to be associated with superior cosmetic results, shorter hospital stays, and rapid return to full activity compared to sternotomy. These approaches have been around for decades, but they have not been widely adopted for a variety of reasons. Right axillary thoracotomy is one of these approaches that we believe should be the new standard for the repair of a wide variety of heart defects in children and will be the focus of our current review.

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Keywords

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