Work

Femoral Vein Cannulation to the Left-Sided Inferior Vena Cava in Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery: A Case Report

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: A left-sided inferior vena cava (left-sided IVC) is a congenital venous anomaly in which the IVC runs along the left side of the abdominal aorta. We successfully inserted a venous cannula from the right femoral vein (FV) to the right atrium through a left-sided IVC. We established cardiopulmonary bypass during minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS). We present a case of a 75-year-old man with controlled diabetes mellitus who underwent aortic valve replacement via MICS (MICS-AVR) with a 23-mm Epic porcine valve. He had severe aortic regurgitation with a three-month history of exertional dyspnea. MICS-AVR was planned as he wished to return to physical labor early. However, a left-sided IVC was found on the preoperative computed tomography. It exhibited a peculiar flexure, raising concerns about whether the venous cannula would pass through it. However, FV cannulation was successfully performed under X-ray fluoroscopy. This case demonstrates the feasibility of FV cannulation even in patients with left-sided IVC, with X-ray fluoroscopy proving useful in avoiding venous injuries and enhancing the reproducibility of the procedure. It also highlights the importance of preoperative assessment for IVC anomalies to prevent perioperative complications and optimize the surgical plan.

Source: Cureus

DOI: 10.7759/cureus.82982

Authors: Hiroto Kawakami, Takanobu Kimura, Hiroshi Tsuneyoshi

Institution: Shizuoka General Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Vascular anomalies and interventions

Subfield: Surgery

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W4409801310