Objective To explore the safety and outcome of minimally invasive open heart surgery for ventricular septal defects (VSD) in infants with low body weight.

Method Eighty five infants weighted less than 5 Kg who had undergone repair of VSD through a right subaxillary short incision were surveyed (right group) and 113 patients of the same weight were surveyed who had undergone the repair of VSD through a median sternotomy (median group). Preoperative data, perioperative parameters, mortality and morbility were investigated for retrospective analysis.

Results Most of the preoperative data in right group and median group were similar (p > 0.05) except that the body weight, (4.61 ± 0.41 Kg vs 4.95 ± 1.18 Kg, p < 0.05), body surface area (0.27 ± 0.02 m² vs 0.28 ± 0.01 m², p < 0.05), the incidence of preoperative pneumonia history (44.2% vs 64.7%, p < 0.05) in median group were lower than that of right group (p < 0.05). Compared with median group, right group was with shorter incision (6.01 ± 0.85 cm vs 9.13 ± 1.04 cm, p < 0.05), length of operative time (143.64 ± 22.41 min vs 152.12 ± 22.80 min, p < 0.05) and postoperative stay (7.13 ± 2.60 vs 8.86 ± 3.67, p < 0.05), and less drainage (14.47 ± 4.99 ml/Kg vs 17.21 ± 10.98 ml/Kg, p < 0.05) and transfusion of red blood cell (10.34 ± 9.70 ml/Kg vs 14.60 ± 1.59 ml/Kg, p < 0.05). There were no deaths and low incidence of complications in both groups, and without significant difference between them (p > 0.05).

Conclusion The minimally invasive open heart surgery through right subaxillary short incision for VSD in infants with low body weight was safe and effective.