Resuscitation of a patient with giant left atrial myxoma after cardiac arrest

Abstract

A PATIENT WITH a giant left atrial (LA) myxoma had a cardiac arrest because of entrapment of the myxoma in the mitral valve (MV). Although the cardiac rhythm returned with use of routine cardiac resuscitation measures, external cardiac massage failed to result in ejection from the heart. The patient was successfully managed using a novel method of placing the patient in the right lateral decubitus position with a head down tilt and vigorously shaking the chest, thus dislodging the tumor from the MV. The patient was then taken for emergency surgery, maintaining the Trendelenberg position, until sternotomy.