[Adequate venous autoplasty in severe superior vena cava syndrome].

Abstract

Eleven patients underwent plastic operations on the superior vena cava (SVC) in its severe occlusion. The SVC syndrome was caused by malignant tumors of the right lung and mediastinum in 9 patients, lymphogranulomatosis in one patient, and by chronic fibrous mediastinitis in another patient. The SVC and its main branches were replaced by a multisegmental graft (lineal or bifurcation) of autogenous vein formed by parallel stitching together of 3-5 longitudinally cut segments of the vena saphena magna. Venous drainage was adequate and the graft remained unobstructed for a long time due to the anatomical conformity of the graft to the SVC and the equal diameters of the joined vessels. The immediate and late-term (3 to 26 months) results of plastics with a multisegmental graft or autogenous vein were good.