Home > Heart Surgery Blog > Patient Stories > Thoracotomy Vs. Sternotomy For Vicki's Mitral Valve Surgery... Any Female Perspectives?

Thoracotomy Vs. Sternotomy For Vicki's Mitral Valve Surgery... Any Female Perspectives?

By Adam Pick on September 16, 2008

Vicki (pictured below) recently sent me a question regarding her upcoming mitral valve surgery. While I have some ideas for Vicki, we thought it might be helpful for Vicki to gather feedback from other patients - especially females. That said... Do you have any thoughts for Vicki? Here is what she writes:

Hi Adam,

I'm scheduled for mitral valve surgery (hopefully repair, not mitral valve replacement) on September 26. I'm a very fit 54-year old woman that climbs mountains, bikes and generally expects a lot of her body!

My surgeon, Doctor Vincent Gaudiani, has given me the choice of a thoracotomy or a midline sternotomy. Considering this choice, I am looking to find one or more women that opted for the thoracotomy, and had the procedure done one or more years ago.

Thoracotomy - Incision Diagram

The pros of the thoracotomy procedure are: 1) aesthetics and 2) no bone breakage. BUT, I'm wondering what the long-term effect of cutting through the intercostal muscles has on mobility, exercise, yoga, etc.

I want to make sure that a thoracotomy is the best option for someone that is very active. It would be a bummer to pick that option, only to find out that my mobility has been lessened - most likely due to pain - over time.

Thanks for your help on this! I just ordered your book! Best regards, Vicki. To provide your thoughts on thoracotomy and sternotomy, please scroll down to leave a comment for Vicki. In advance, thanks for your help!

Scroll down to see 35+ patient comments.

Keep on tickin!
Adam

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Written by Adam Pick
Patient & Website Founder

Written by Adam Pick - Patient & Website Founder

Adam Pick is a heart valve patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. In 2006, Adam founded HeartValveSurgery.com to educate and empower patients. This award-winning website has helped over 10 million people fight heart valve disease. Adam has been featured by the American Heart Association and Medical News Today.

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