Benign tumor (myxoma) surgery of the heart without opening the rib cage
Primary tumors of the heart are rare and are seen in patients as an incidental finding at autopsy, with a frequency between 0.0017% and 0.19%. Approximately 75% of cardiac tumors are benign, and approximately half of these are myxomas. Atrial myxoma is the most common and benign cardiac neoplasm; its origin is attributed to a mesenchymal cell. Myxomas usually occur between the third and sixth decades of life (between 30 and 60 years of age) and are three times more common in women. There are two different forms of these tumors: solid and oval myxomas; soft and papillary myxomas. Solid tumors are more likely to present with symptoms of congestive heart failure (CHF), while papillary tumors are more likely to embolize to cerebral and other peripheral vessels. At the time of diagnosis, 92% of patients have symptoms of CHF. Atrial myxoma can mimic valvular heart disease, heart failure, and present with cardiomegaly, bacterial endocarditis, ventricular and supraventricular rhythm disturbances, syncope, and systemic or pulmonary embolism.
Left or right atrial myxomas can now be removed by surgery with methods called “Minimally Invasive”, that is, small incisions or closed surgery. In this method, it is performed by entering from between the ribs without any bone incision. Since the heart chambers will be opened during the surgery, the Heart and Lung Machine is used. This device is attached via the groin veins. Blood from the body is drawn into the machine, oxygenated and transferred back to the body. In this way, the work that the heart and lungs will do is temporarily given to this machine. The heart is stopped. The left or right atrium (i.e. the atrium) is opened and the tumor (myxoma) inside is removed. In this 28-year-old male patient, this tumor caused a stroke (SVO) one year before the surgery. The Heart and Lung Machine was attached via the groin veins in the patient. Myxoma surgeries are usually short-lived and the tumor must be completely removed from its root. After the surgery, which takes approximately 1.5 hours and a short hospital stay (4 days), patients can be mobilized directly.