A valve insertion tool is disclosed. The valve insertion tool may be used in a minimally invasive cardiac surgery. The valve insertion tool includes a housing and a cover, the housing having at least one valve recess and a suture channel. The valve insertion tool is suitable for use in delivering a prosthetic heart valve into a thoracic cavity of a patient during a minimally invasive cardiac surgical procedure. One or more valve insertion tools may be stackable and be pre-loaded with one or more prepared prosthetic heart valves. These one or more valve insertion tools may be packaged as a valve insertion kit.