Aortic arch homograft as a bypass conduit for superior vena cava obstruction

Superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction most commonly results from malignant disease of the superior mediastinum, which is amenable to percutaneous stenting. Superior vena cava syndrome can also be caused by transvenous pacemaker electrodes and indwelling venous catheters, when it may be refractory to minimally invasive treatment. We report 2 patients with superior vena cava obstruction treated successfully by a surgical bypass approach using cryopreserved aortic arch homografts.