Cavopulmonary bypass to facilitate infrahepatic vena cava gunshot wound repair.

Traumatic injuries to the inferior vena cava continue to be associated with high mortality. The management of these injuries has been technically challenging and highly variable, often depending on factors that include the anatomic complexity and the severity of the insult. We report the first case in which a patient with massive exsanguination from an infrahepatic vena cava gunshot wound underwent successful repair with the aid of a novel variant active venovenous bypass circuit between the inferior vena cava and the pulmonary artery. 2010 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.