Left-sided inferior vena cava implications for cardiopulmonary bypass cannulation in open thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair

A left-sided inferior vena cava poses a unique challenge when cannulating for cardiopulmonary bypass during thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair, and how to effectively and safely do so has not been previously described. A 51-year-old woman with a history of Loeys-Dietz syndrome and a left-sided inferior vena cava underwent open Crawford extent II thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Cardiopulmonary bypass cannulation was performed using the right axillary artery, left common femoral artery, and right internal jugular vein. The patient's repair was successful, and she was ultimately discharged back to her home.