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The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 103, 282-286, Copyright © 1992 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association

ARTICLES

Oblique transseptal left atriotomy for optimal mitral exposure

RS Hartz, KE Kanady, J LoCicero 3d, JH Sanders Jr and DJ DePinto
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60611-3008.

Twenty patients underwent mitral valve replacement or other surgical procedures within the left atrium with Dubost's transseptal left atriotomy. The left atrium was grossly enlarged in six patients. Exposure was considered to be excellent in 13 patients and poor in only two. One patient (with a second aortic and mitral valve replacement) required a permanent pacemaker after operation, none had a residual shunt at the atrial level, and none required reoperation for bleeding. The Dubost transseptal left atriotomy affords excellent exposure of left atrial structures, is easy to close, and does not increase the prevalence of postoperative rhythm disturbances.