TORONTO – Avoiding open heart surgery, which involves risks and complications for the patient and raising costs for the healthcare system, is now possible thanks to minimally-invasive cardiac surgery: with the advances in technology and medical techniques, surgeons can now practice small incisions to reach the heart between the ribs, all without cutting the sternum, thus avoiding major blood loss, reducing the risk of infection and post-operative pain and allowing for a faster recovery of patients who spend less time in hospital and can return to their normal activities more quickly. 

It’s an approach that is becoming a new standard for the treatment of a wide variety of heart diseases such as atrial fibrillation, mitral regurgitation, aortic valve stenosis and coronary artery disease.

However, despite its benefits for patients and their families, minimally-invasive cardiac surgery still remains rarely applied in Canada due to an insufficient number of specialists and lack of investment in innovation and research on this surgical technique.

But today a new scenario is opening up thanks to the innovations in the field of minimally invasive cardiac surgery introduced by Dr. Gianluigi Bisleri (in the pic above), Professor at the University of Toronto and Director of Minimally-Invasive Heart Surgery at St. Michael’s Hospital.

“It is a source of extreme pride to have seen this program grow exponentially starting from 2021, when I introduced these innovative technologies that were completely absent in Toronto and in the GTA before my arrival and generally scarcely used in Canada – comments Dr. Bisleri – . Today we are not only the center with the highest volume of these procedures in the entire GTA, but we have also become a national and international reference center in this area, continuing to improve and innovate these techniques”.

This important program is strongly supported by the University of Toronto’s Department of Surgery, home to Canada’s largest and third-largest department of surgery and third in the world.

“With the support of our community – UofT explains – we are creating Canada’s first ‘Endowed Chair’ of minimally-invasive cardiac surgery to support Dr. Bisleri’s work in order to brighten the future of patients living with a vast range of heart conditions”.

“The creation of this Endowed Chair represents one of the most prestigious international awards – Dr. Bisleri says – and the initiative will make it possible to create a dedicated infrastructure that will continue to bring not only clinical benefits to patients, but also scientific and technological innovations capable of having an international impact”.

For this to happen, however, the philanthropic support of the community is needed to sustain the chair of minimally invasive cardiac surgery: for this reason, the University of Toronto, together with the support of CIBPA and KPMG, has decided to organize an event for the presentation of the “Endowed Chair ” in Minimally-Invasive Cardiac Surgery in order to encourage financial support for the program, through an awareness and fundraising event.

The initiative will be held on Friday 10 February, from 5pm to 7pm, at KPMG – Great Lakes Room in Bay-Adelaide Center at 333 Bay Street in Toronto where a cocktail will be held in the presence of heart surgeon Gianluigi Bisleri, the Italian doctor who fact introduced minimally invasive cardiac surgery in Canada – email for info: medicine.rsvp@utoronto.ca 

The date of the fundraising presentation, 10 February, was not chosen by chance: the event is in fact scheduled a few days before Valentine’s Day. And the chosen title is “Mending Broken Hearts”. Today, with minimally-invasive cardiac surgery, it’s easier.