Clinical and Surgical Experience in the Management of Cardiac Myxomas: The Early and Mid-Term Results

Abstract

Objective: Cardiac myxoma is the most common benign heart tumor. In this study, early and mid-term results of patients who underwent intracardiac myxoma exicision surgery were examined. Methods: Between to 1988 and 2012 years, 31 patients with a median age of 56 years (range, 33 to 78 years) were operated for myxoma. Eighteen female and 13 male underwent surgical excision of primary intracardiac myxomas. Twelve patients (38.7%) presented with congestive heart failure symptoms and 19 patients (61.3%) with mitral obstruction symptoms. Preoperative diagnosis was established by transthoracic two dimensional echocardiography. Nineteen had right atrial (RA) myxomas, 12 patients had left atrial (LA) myxoma. The surgical management was performed by wide excision under cardiopulmonary bypass. Results: One patient with cerebral embolism died during the early postoperative period. Mean follow-up was 9.8±1.4 years. Thirty patients had on regular follow-up in NYHA Class I symptoms with no documented recurrences. Conclusions: All patients with cardiac myxoma have immediate surgical treatement indication. Surgical excision of atrial myxoma gives excellent short and mid-term results. (JAREM 2013; 3: 84-7)