Minimally invasive resection of a right atrial mass in a cardiac transplant recipient: a case report

Abstract

Intracardiac thrombus formation usually occurs in the left-sided cavities of the heart, most frequently in the presence of atrial fibrillation or cardiomyopathy. We report the case of an initially unclear mass developing in the right atrium (RA) of a heart transplant recipient, which was subsequently resected via a minimally invasive surgical approach. Access via right anterior minithoracotomy using videoscopic assistance allowed for uncomplicated RA thrombectomy in the presented case, avoiding reentry sternotomy with the potential risk of cardiac injury and without aortic cross-clamping or cardioplegic arrest. The patient is doing fine with excellent graft function at the latest follow-up 4 months after minimally invasive thrombectomy and 30 months after cardiac transplantation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing minimally invasive resection of a right atrial thrombus in a heart transplant recipient.