title: Off-pump connection of the hepatic to the azygos vein through a lateral thoracotomy for relief of arterio-venous fistulas after a Kawashima procedure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To connect the hepatic veins to the azygos venous system through a lateral thoracotomy, and without the use of extracorporeal circulation, so as to relieve arteriovenous fistulas after a previous Kawashima operation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Description of the operative technique by which the hepatic veins are anastomosed to the hepatic venous system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The surgical approach was successfully applied in 3 patients, all of whom showed an excellent rise of saturations of oxygen after redirection of the hepatic venous blood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The operative method presented is an elegant means of redirecting the hepatic venous blood to the pulmonary circulation without the disadvantages of extracorporeal circulation and resternotomy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Fatima E F G
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Freek
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van den Heuvel
authors.forename: Petronella G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Pieper
authors.forename: Tjalling W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Waterbolk
authors.forename: Tjark
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ebels
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001164:Arteriovenous Fistula / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000002:abnormalities*; D001401:Azygos Vein / Q000601:surgery*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D013908:Thoracotomy