Background. With increasing patient interest in minimally invasive procedures, it is more important than ever for surgeons to be current on the most common minimally invasive techniques in cardiac surgery. As minimally invasive cardiac surgery has evolved, the strategies and approaches to cardiopulmonary bypass access have evolved. Peripheral cannulation is convenient but carries a risk of retrograde dissection, embolization, stroke, and ipsilateral limb ischemia, whereas central aortic cannulation has the advantage of antegrade flow.Methods. We report our experience with direct arterial and venous cannulation through a thoracotomy approach without compromising the results. From January 2017 to December 2018, 140 consecutive patients were studied. Mean age was 26 ± 18 years (range, 11 months to 83 years), with 46 patients (32.8%) younger than 12 years and 12 patients weighing less than 10 kg. Spectrum of procedures include atrial septal defect closure (53%), mitral valve repair (14%), ventricular septal defect closure (9%),

No abstract