Surgical Treatment of Atrial Myxoma, clinical Experience At National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease

Between 1985 to 1998, fifty - two patients (34 female and 18 male) 21 to 53 years of age with a mean age of 34 years underwent surgical excision of atrial myxoma at the national Institute of Cardiovascular diseases, Karachi. Forty-nine (94%) presented with dyspnea while 3(6.0%) had congestive cardiac failure. forty eight  patient had left atrial myxoma,  3 had biatrial myxoma and one female had sessile right atrial myxoma. All the left atrial myxomas were pedunculated with varying width of stalk. Myxomas were surigcally excised and the stalk was cauterized. Two patients (3.8%) died perioperatively. All other patients had good results. it is concluded that surgical excision of atrial myxoma carries how morbidity and mortality. it should be promptly treated once the diagnosis in made.