**5. Surgical techniques**

The two most commonly used approaches today are (a) Ministernotomy and (b) Right anterior minithoracotomy (**Figure 2**).


**Figure 2.** *Minimally invasive incisions: (A) mini sternotomy, (B) right anterior mini thoracotomy.*

atrial fibrillation (19.5 vs. 34.2%), shorter ventilation time (median 7 vs. 8 h = 0.003) and a shorter hospital stay (median 5 vs. 6 days) [29].
