Correction of anomalous systemic venous drainage: transposition of left SVC to left PA

In some patients, a persistent left superior vena cava drains into the left atrium (rather than the right) and may produce a symptomatic right-to-left shunt. We describe an extracardiac approach for correcting anomalous systemic venous drainage when the innominate vein is absent. In this technique, the left superior vena cava is transposed to the left pulmonary artery.