Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 2, 2026
Retrospective Cardiac Gating with A Prototype Small-Animal X-ray Computed Tomograph
Published on: February 21, 2025
Cardiac tumors: a retrospective multicenter institutional study
Nikolaos G Baikoussis1, Nikolaos A Papakonstantinou, Panagiotis Dedeilias
1Cardiac Surgery Department, General Hospital of Athens "Evangelismos'", Athens, Greece.
Insights
Primary cardiac tumors, especially myxomas, require prompt surgical intervention. Early excision of these heart tumors is crucial for preventing complications and achieving low mortality rates following open heart surgery.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Cardiac Oncology
- Thoracic Surgery
Background:
- Primary cardiac tumors are rare but diverse, originating from endocardium, valves, or myocardium.
- Cardiac myxomas represent the most common type of primary cardiac tumor.
- Intracavitary tumors pose risks due to potential obstruction and embolic events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review surgical outcomes for primary cardiac tumors over 29 years.
- To analyze postoperative morbidity and mortality associated with cardiac tumor resection.
- To specifically evaluate the experience with cardiac myxoma excision.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 117 patients undergoing cardiac tumor resection between 1985 and 2014.
- Data collected from Cardiac Surgery Departments of three tertiary hospitals.
- Patient age ranged from 16 to 82 years.
Main Results:
- Myxomas constituted 77.78% of the 117 cardiac tumors resected.
- The 30-day mortality rate for cardiac tumor surgery was 3.29%.
- Post-myxoma excision complications included atrial fibrillation (23.07%), neurological issues (3.29%), and recurrence (4.39%).
Conclusions:
- Early surgical intervention for primary cardiac tumors is essential.
- Open heart surgery for cardiac tumors can achieve low mortality rates.
- Timely diagnosis and resection mitigate risks associated with cardiac tumors.
Purpose:
Primary cardiac tumors are uncommon but not extremely rare. Cardiac tumors, mostly intracavitary, include benign and malignant tumors that arise from the endocardium, heart valves or myocardium. This retrospective study summarizes the experience of the Cardiac Surgery Departments of three tertiary Hospitals in this field, and particularly in cardiac myxomas, over the last 29 years. Herein, we present the results of cardiac tumors excision in relation to postoperative morbidity and mortality.
Methods:
Between 1985 and 2014, 117 patients, aged from 16 to 82 years, underwent resection of a cardiac tumor.
Results:
Ninety one of the tumors (77.78%) were myxomas, 15 of them (12.82%) were other primary cardiac tumors, 7 of them (5.98%) were infra-diaphragmatic tumors and the remaining 4 tumors (3.42%) were benign intracavitary masses (thrombi). Patients operated on for a cardiac tumor had a 30-day mortality rate of 3.29%. Atrial fibrillation appeared in 21 out of 91 patients (23.07%) operated on for cardiac myxoma, while neurological complications were observed in 3 patients (3.29%). Re-exploration for bleeding was performed in 5 out of 91 cases (5.49%) and recurrence occurred in 4.39% of myxomas.
Conclusions:
Despite being rare, primary cardiac tumors require open heart intervention soon after their diagnosis in order to prevent complications and achieve low mortality rates.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
01:30Acute Coronary Syndrome III: Diagnostic Studies