Instrument Port For Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery

The instrument ports for introducing instruments into a surgical site that are disclosed herein include a port body having a channel running therethrough from a proximal end to a distal end, an instrument sleeve in slidable contact with the channel, creating a gap therebetween, and a fluid flow element for removing emboli efficiently from the instrument port, wherein the fluid flow element includes the gap. Disclosed fluid flow systems are for use in the disclosed instrument ports. Methods are also disclosed for removably securing an instrument sleeve to a port body by anchoring the instrument port to heart tissue, making at least one flood line in a channel, flushing out emboli, and performing surgery with the instrument port.