Aortic valve replacement through full sternotomy with a stented bioprosthesis versus minimally invasive sternotomy with a sutureless bioprosthesis

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyse early postoperative outcomes and 2-year survival after aortic valve replacement (AVR) through a ministernotomy with a sutureless bioprosthesis implantation compared with a full sternotomy with implantation of a stented bioprosthesis. METHODS: Patients who underwent primary isolated non-emergent AVR at six European centres were included in the study. Of these, 182 (32%) underwent a ministernotomy with a sutureless bioprosthesis (ministernotomy sutureless group) and 383 (68%) a full sternotomy with a stented bioprosthesis (full sternotomy stented group). Propensity score matching was used to reduce selection bias. RESULTS: In the overall cohort, 30-day mortality was 1.6 and 2.1%, and 2-year survival was 92 and 92% in the ministernotomy sutureless group and in the full sternotomy stented group, respectively. Propensity score matching resulted in 171 pairs with similar characteristics and operative risk. Aortic cross-clamp (40 vs 65 min, P < 0.001) and cardiopulmonary bypass time (69 vs 87 min, P < 0.001) were shorter in the ministernotomy sutureless group. Patients undergoing ministernotomy received less packed red blood cells but the risk for postoperative permanent pacemaker implantation was higher. There were no differences regarding 30-day mortality or 2-year survival between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: AVR through a ministernotomy with implantation of a sutureless bioprosthesis was associated with shorter aortic cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass time and less transfusion of packed red blood cells, but a higher risk for postoperative permanent pacemaker implantation compared with a full sternotomy with a stented bioprosthesis.