Twenty-Five Years of Experience with Left Atrial Myxoma

Forty-four patients with left atrial myxoma were operated at Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Hospital between 1971 and 1996. There were 31 female and 13 male patients. The myxoma arose from the interatrial septum in 43 patients and from the annulus of the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve in one patient. Preoperatively, all patients had dyspnea or tachycardia. Clinical evidence of systemic embolism was detected in 9 patients. The diagnosis was established by angiocardiography in 6 patients and by echocardiography in 38 patients. All patients were treated surgically under cardiopulmonary bypass and the myxomas were resected with their septal attachments. The septal defects were closed with a patch in 12 patients and primarily in 32 patients.