[Successful resection of a hypernephroma extending continuously into the right ventricle: utilization of...

We report the case of a 53-year-old woman with renal cell carcinoma extending into the inferior vena cava and through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle. Successful total removal was performed with the aid of cardiopulmonary bypass. The rarity of this case prompted a review of the literature in which only the involvement of right atrium in this type of tumor was found. Review of our own experience with extracorporal circulation in non-cardiac procedures demonstrates that an aggressive therapeutic approach, requiring operations of escalating magnitude and multidisciplinary surgical treatment, can salvage patients who otherwise might not be considered for operation.