Importance of the surgical technique in cardiac procedures. Inadequate surgical results lead to further adverse postoperative events

In contrast to transcatheter procedures, surgical interventions on the heart are associated with considerably more surgical trauma. It is important not only to minimize the direct surgical trauma but also to minimize the indirect trauma that is caused by imperfect results. These imperfect results include reoperations due to bleeding, sternal wound infections, insufficient myocardial protection, transplant occlusion and suboptimal valve reconstruction. Every cardiac surgeon should do his/her best to prevent these indirect surgical trauma because they result in higher mortality and morbidity of patients undergoing cardiac surgery.