Neo-Left Atrium Construction on the Beating Heart After Extirpation of a Huge Mediastinal Tumor Invading Heart and Lung.

We report on construction of a neo-left atrium (LA) with 2 bovine pericardial patches after in toto removal of a huge mediastinal tumor invading the heart and lung. The procedure was performed on the beating heart using normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) without cardioplegic arrest. Treatment consisted of tumor removal necessitating left pneumonectomy, excision of the LA, resection of the mitral annulus, excision of the tumor from the left ventricle, and construction of a new LA using 2 bovine pericardial patches and a new mitral bioprosthesis. Histologic examination revealed myofibrosarcoma. The patient died 22 months after the operation.