Surgical trimming of a giant left atrium during mitral valve replacement effectively reduces its size and relieves compression on adjacent structures.
Trimming may relieve compression in select giant left atrium cases; case reports leave open need for controlled outcome studies.
Radiographic evidence of asymmetrical enlargement of the left atrium without atrial infarction is presented. Giant atrial enlargement is rarely symmetrical, the atrial appendage can contribute to the enlargement, and the giant atrium can be effectively trimmed. This will reduce its size and, therefore, the space which it occupies, and will restore the anatomical relations of neighbouring structures such as the main bronchi.
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Roux et al. (1970) studied this question.
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