Mitral valve repair after a right pneumonectomy: a minimally invasive approach.

A 31-year old man was admitted to our unit with severe mitral regurgitation secondary to infective endocarditis on a background of a right pneumonectomy performed 8 years previously for a central carcinoid tumour. A previous right thoracotomy for lung resection is considered a contraindication to a minimal access approach to the mitral valve. Following the right pneumonectomy, a left-to-right displacement of the mediastinum had occurred. We report our experience on performing a mitral valve repair through a right mini-thoracotomy in a patient who had undergone a right pneumonectomy. In this case, three-dimensional computed tomography reconstructions were used to guide our surgical approach. We hope that this case presentation will help further broaden the applicability of a thru-port approach to this rare subgroup of patients.