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. 

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