USE OF ACTIVE SHUNT FOR SURGICAL REPAIR OF INTRAPERICARDIAL INFERIOR VENA-CAVAL INJURY

We report a case of intrapericardial inferior vena caval disruption du e to goring by a bull, and we describe the surgical repair of this unc ommon penetrating cardiac injury. Review of the literature indicates t hat, as with other penetrating cardiac injuries, this rare lesion requ ires aggressive treatment involving an emergency thoractomy. The use o f an atrial caval active shunt was necessary for successful surgical m anagement, and therefore we conclude that surgical treatment of this l esion is comparable with surgical repair of hepatic veins and retrohep atic vena caval injuries incurred during blunt vascular trauma or pene trating abdominal injuries.