Background and aims: To evaluate the technical procedures and the post-operative survival of patients having been operated for renal cell cancer with cavoatrial tumour thrombus (RCC-T).
Material and methods: Between 1990 and 2000 the cardiac unit at Helsinki University Central Hospital operated on seven patients for RCC-T. A cardiac surgeon along with a urologist, performed all seven operations using sternolaparotomy (either midline or Chevron incision) with cardiopulmonary bypass.
Results: The average duration of the operations was eight hours (range 6-11 hours) and the average perfusion time was 118 minutes (range 35-206). Hypothermic circulatory arrest was used for one patient with an arrest time of 31 minutes. Only with one patient could the cavotomy be closed directly. In four patients a cava resection was performed and closed either with a pericardium patch or a Gore-Tex prosthesis. In two patients the cava was ligated below the renal veins. During the post-operative intensive care, there were two deaths. Of the remaining patients, five were alive after six months, four after 12 months, three after six years and one patient is still alive after 12 years of follow-up.
Conclusions: In agreement with previously published results, although peri-operative mortality is relatively high with RCC-T patients, long-term post-operative survival is possible.