BACKGROUND Lack of conduit growth potential and thrombogenicity are the main drawbacks of the extracardiac Fontan operation (ECFO). Optimal size of the conduit according to the patients age and inferior vena cava diameter has not been established. OBJECTIVES We set out to ascertain whether the optimal dimensions of the conduit could be determined before an ECFO. METHODS Actual and expected ...

The benefits of a baffle fenestration in essentially high-risk Fontan patients have been demonstrated. Described here is the use of a new fenestration between the left atrial appendage and the left superior vena cava after Kawashima operation in a patient with a double-outlet right ventricle with hypoplastic left ventricle, left atrial isomerism, bilateral superior vena cavae with no bridging v...

Living-donor liver transplant for a big hepatocellular carcinoma located in the caudate lobe is challenging owing to dissemination of cancer cells during recipient hepatectomy. We report a case of living-donor liver transplant using the right side of the liver of a living donor combined with inferior vena cava interposition graft after en bloc resection of the liver and retrohepatic inferior ve...

BACKGROUND Large vessel sarcomas are rare tumours. Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava is the most common. About 300 cases have been reported in the literature. They tend to be large, and not develop metastasis. The prognosis of these tumours is poor. CLINICAL CASE An 81 year-old woman who complained of pain in the right flank, with no other symptoms. Abdominal computed tomography showed...

Fistulas between the luminal gastrointestinal tract and vascular structures can result from a variety of etiologies. While there have been reports of fistulas between the inferior vena cava and the duodenum, we report the first case to our knowledge of a fistula between the jejunum and the inferior vena cava after esophagojejunal anastomosis for recurrent esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Endothelium-dependent relaxations of canine veins isolated from 15 different sites were examined. Acetylcholine (ACh, 10(-10)-10(-6) M) caused marked endothelium-dependent relaxations in the external jugular vein, superior vena cava, brachiocephalic vein, segment A (supradiaphragmatic portion) and D (infrarenal portion) of the inferior vena cava. However, only contractile responses were induced...

The azygos venous system represents an accessory venous pathway supplying an important collateral circulation between the superior and inferior vena cava. The aim of this article is to revise the wide spectrum of changes ranging from normal to pathological conditions involving the azygos system. Teaching points • The azygos vein is a collateral venous pathway, becoming a vital shunt if major pa...

The assessment of the body fluid status is one the most challenging tasks in clinical practice. Although there are many methods to assess the body fluid status of patients, none of them is fully satisfactory in contemporary medical sciences. In the article below, we compare the results of measurements performed by experienced and inexperienced examiners based on the inferior vena cava/aorta dia...

background major vascular injury during a spinal surgery is a rare but most dreaded complication. case presentation a 39 years old female undergoing microscopic lumbar discectomy suddenly developed severe hypotension on table. the procedure was abandoned and the patient turned supine. it was diagnosed to be a major vessel tear and the patient was taken up for immediate successful vascular repai...