Persistent left superior vena cava: a simple technique for adequate drainage during cardiopulmonary bypass

Persistent left superior vena cava is a frequent anomaly of the systemic venous return and usually drains into the right atrium through the coronary sinus. Inadequate drainage of this vessel during cardiopulmonary bypass can result in complications for the patient and problems for the surgeon. Various methods of draining this vessel, directly or indirectly through the coronary sinus, have been already described. Some surgeons temporarily occlude or even ligate this vessel. We describe here an alternative and simple method to drain this vessel during cardiopulmonary bypass.