How to do it? Transcatheter correction of superior sinus venosus defects

Superior sinus venosus defect is characterized by varying degrees of override of the atrial septum by the superior vena cava and anomalous right upper pulmonary vein (RUPV) drainage. The defect is seen posterosuperior to the oval fossa and is traditionally corrected by a surgical patch that routes the anomalously draining RUPV to the left atrium. A few postoperative patients develop stenosis or occlusion of the caval or pulmonary vein and/or sick sinus syndrome secondary to vascular injury. This has kindled a recent interest in nonsurgical correction of these defects by the use of a covered stent to reroof the defect. The complex anatomy of this defect often necessitates the use of advanced imaging tools and postprocessing. Countries with restricted resources do not have easy access to technologies such as three-dimensional printed models and advanced processing like virtual reality or holography. This “How to do it?” article, applicable in these countries, explains the current understanding of this intervention, patient selection, step-by-step explanation of the evaluation, and stent implantation.