Cardiac myxoma surgery in Sub-Saharan Africa: A retrospective six-case series from Benin

Cardiac myxomas are rare benign tumors with potentially severe consequences if left untreated. Surgical excision remains challenging in resource-limited settings. This study aims to describe the short- and mid-term postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing cardiac myxoma resection in Benin.

This was a retrospective study including all patients who underwent surgical resection of a cardiac myxoma at our hospital in Benin between 2021 and 2025. Clinical, echocardiographic, intraoperative, and follow-up data were collected and analyzed descriptively.

Six patients (four women and two men; mean age: 54.2 ± 8.8 years) underwent surgery. All presented with dyspnea; tumors were exclusively located in the left atrium. Three patients required concomitant mitral valve repair. Mean cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp times were 39 ± 13.5 min and 26.8 ± 10.2 min, respectively. There were no operative deaths. Early complications were one transient ischaemic stroke and one pneumonia. Median follow-up was 19 months (IQR 9-41). No recurrence or late death occurred. All patients remained symptom-free.

Timely surgical excision of cardiac myxoma therefore appears feasible in a resource-limited Sub-Saharan African centre and offers favourable short- and mid-term outcomes, although the small sample size remains a limitation.