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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Image Acquisition Method for the Sonographic Assessment of the Inferior Vena Cava

Image Acquisition Method for the Sonographic Assessment of the Inferior Vena Cava

Published on: January 13, 2023

Persistent left and absent right superior vena cava.

Shi-Min Yuan¹, Ehud Raanani, Amihay Shinfeld

¹Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel Hashomer 52621, Israel. shi_min_yuan@yahoo.com

Kardiologia Polska

|January 27, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A rare persistent left superior vena cava anomaly, usually asymptomatic, was incidentally found in a patient needing valve surgery. Surgeons successfully performed mitral and aortic valve replacements despite this unusual venous anatomy.

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Area of Science:

Cardiology
Thoracic Surgery
Medical Imaging

Background:

Persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is a rare congenital vascular anomaly.
This condition is often asymptomatic and discovered incidentally during medical imaging or procedures.

Observation:

A 57-year-old female patient presented for valvular surgery.
Preoperative echocardiography and computed tomography identified a persistent left and absent right superior vena cava.

Findings:

Mitral and aortic valve replacements were successfully completed.
The surgical team utilized aortic and single inferior vena cava cannulations for cardiopulmonary bypass.
Antegrade cardioplegic infusion was administered effectively.

Implications:

Cardiovascular surgeons and cardiologists must be aware of this anomaly for safe surgical planning.
Preoperative diagnosis is crucial for adapting surgical techniques and avoiding complications.
This case highlights successful management of complex cardiac surgery in the presence of anomalous venous drainage.