Rochus Voeller, MD, says recent medical advances have led to better outcomes for heart surgery patients

The difficult news: You need coronary bypass surgery. Or a valve repair or replacement. Or you might have a failing heart with no other options besides a heart transplant.

The good news: Recent advances – including minimally invasive valve surgeries and transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVR) – have significantly changed the field of cardiac surgery.

The result: Today, we are able to offer patients access to many procedures with less pain, fewer complications, faster recovery times, and improved long-term results.

Together, M Health Fairview and our academic partner, the University of Minnesota, have one of the longest and successful heart and lung transplant programs in the country.

We spoke with Cardiothoracic Surgeon Rochus Voeller, MD, about the recent advances in heart care – and the role that Voeller and others are playing in that progress. Voeller, who specializes in minimally invasive cardiac surgeries, sees patients at M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital and M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center.

What do areas of cardiothoracic surgery do you primarily focus in?

My area of expertise is in minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS). I perform all types of heart surgeries through small incisions, sometime with the assistance of a scope. Many of these procedures are done through a one- to two-inch incision on the side of the chest between the ribs; sometimes through the partial opening of the sternum. Most of these procedures are valve operations – replacing or repairing a diseased heart valve in a patient, though some coronary bypass surgeries can be performed using a minimally invasive approach as well. Compared to the traditional open-heart surgeries, minimally invasive surgery significantly reduces pain after the procedure and shortens the recovery time so patients can get back to their normal lives much faster.

What sorts of improvements have we seen in recent years when it comes to heart surgery?

Today, my main focus is to expand M Health Fairview’s minimally invasive mitral valve repair program. We are the only center in the Twin Cities that provides minimally invasive mitral valve surgeries including complex mitral valve repairs and mitral valve surgeries on patients who have previously undergone heart surgery. Another new area of expertise in my practice is aortic valve repairs for patients with aortic valve insufficiency, a condition that happens when the aortic valve leaks significantly. Some patients with aortic valve insufficiency are candidates for repairs instead of replacements, which have clear advantages. In general, patients who have their valves repaired successfully have fewer complications and live longer compared to patients who have their valves are replaced.

Learn more about M Health Fairview Heart Care Services