Fort Myers, Fla.-based Lee Health completed its first fully endoscopic heart-valve surgery through the smallest incision possible — putting it on the forefront of cardiac care, it said in an Aug. 29 news release.
The procedure is the "next iteration of minimally invasive surgery" that allows patients a faster recovery, less pain and a shorter hospital stay. Surgeons look at the heart through the smallest incision possible and utilize a 3D endoscope to repair or replace the heart valves.
"A full spectrum of surgical therapies can now be offered with this new approach, including valve repair and replacement," Lee Health Heart Institute chief physician executive Malissa Wood, MD, said in the release shared with Becker's. "Being one of the first to perform endoscopic valve surgery helps put Lee Health at the forefront of cardiac care in the region and the country."