Minimally invasive cardiac surgery(MICS) is an integral component of every future cardiac surgeon’s training. There continues to be a growing global demand towards less invasive surgical techniques. Both cardiologist and cardiac surgeon form “heart teams” to provide patients with novel, minimally invasive procedures, with all their benefits.

Less invasive techniques are often complex and require special knowhow and skills. This book offers an innovative approach to learning, utilizing QR code technology, which refers the reader to essential audio-visual material, which, along with the didactic text, focuses on practical aspects of minimally invasive cardiac surgery. In modern Heart Teams, and with the advent of the hybrid era, surgeons will only be able to survive if they have state-of-the-art skills in less invasive technologies, which can be incorporated in the hybrid theatre and/or trans-catheter arena. This text accompanies the surgeon along this path, and provides clinical advice and practical solutions, beyond the necessary basic knowledge. Which courses to visit, which videos to watch, which centres to join for serious training? How best to exploit public and multimedia? How to consent a patient into a MICS procedure? How to set up a MICS program or practice? In the era of value driven outcomes, and a shift towards shorter and better patient journeys, MICS is a skill that no heart surgeon can be without.

Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery: A Practical Guide is a teaching resource, reference book and manual written by surgeons who both operate and teach the procedures described within.

• Provides access to online resources via QR codes
• Includes links to videos and the e-version of the text
• Acts as a gateway to a huge choice of minimally invasive cardiac surgery materials