Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava: Implications of Surgical Management

Persistent left superior vena cava is the most common congenital anomaly of thoracic venous return, which results when the left anterior cardinal vein fails to regress. A 41-year-old African American male with a history of an unspecified childhood cardiac murmur presented to the emergency department with congestive heart failure exacerbation revealing an incidental finding of a persistent left superior vena cava. Ultimately, he required implantable cardioverter defibrillator placement and cardiac transplantation assessment. In the setting of advanced device placement or cardiac transplantation, a persistent left superior vena cava warrants several important clinical considerations at a center capable of addressing the possibility of a right-sided approach and transplantation irregularities.