Balloon-expandable stent placement for superior vena cava-right atrial stenosis after heart transplantation

Anastomotic Stenoses are well known as a complication of vascular and cardi ovascular surgical procedures; such a lesion was encountered at the superio r vena cava-right atrial anastomosis after cardiac transplantation. A ballo on expandable stent was used to relieve this anastomotic constriction, empl oying a 16 mm diameter balloon to deliver a P304 stent. Stent placement res ulted in complete relief of the patient's symptoms and facilitated the pass age of bioptomes through the superior vena cava for subsequent biopsy proce dures following cardiac transplantation.