Double lung transplantation in situs inversus with Kartagener's syndrome

Abstract

En bloc double lung transplantation with bilateral bronchial anastomoses was successfully performed in three patients with complete situs inversus and end-stage Kartagener's syndrome. Dextrocardia was not a technical problem for institution of cardiopulmonary bypass, but a large azygos vein draining the systemic venous return was systematically preserved. The major technical difficulty was restoration of airway continuity, because patients with situs inversus have an inverse direction and length of the main stem bronchi. The right and left main bronchi of the recipients were approached in the aortocaval sinus and transected approximately at 1.5 cm from the carina. The donor right main stem bronchus was divided at its origin and the donor left main stem bronchus was divided proximal to the upper lobe takeoff. The different bronchial angulation was not an obstacle, and airway continuity was reestablished twice with an end-to-end anastomosis and once with a telescopic technique. Because of the midline position of the left atrium and pulmonary artery, the anastomoses with the respective recipient's structures were made as in patients with situs solitus. One patient required a right lower lobectomy because the position of the right side of the heart interfered with lobar expansion. One patient died of obliterative bronchiolitis 36 months after the operation. The remaining two are alive and doing well after 48 and 6 months, respectively. (J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG 1994;108:86-91)