Keyhole heart surgery. Opening in the chest of a patient during keyhole (minimally-invasive) heart surgery. Soft tissue retractors (white) and a metal

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Keyhole heart surgery. Opening in the chest of a patient during keyhole (minimally-invasive) heart surgery. Soft tissue retractors (white) and a metal retractor are being used to keep the chest open. Scissors holding sutures (black thread) can be seen in the foreground. To the right of the scissors is a fibre optic camera (tube and green plastic circle) inserted into the chest. Its pictures are shown on a video screen, allowing the surgeon to view the area being operated upon. Keyhole surgery is less traumatic than open heart surgery, where the sternum is sawn open. Post- operative pain and recovery time are both reduced.

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Size: 5184px × 3495px
Photo credit: © ANTONIA REEVE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: camera, cardiac, cardiology, chest, coronary, equipment, fibre, forceps, heart, heartport, hole, hospital, human, keyhole, medical, medicine, metal, minimally-invasive, opening, operating, optic, port, procedure, retractors, scissors, soft, stitch, stitches, surgery, surgical, suture, sutures, theatre, tissue