Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava. Resection and reconstruction of the renal vein using the gonadal vein.

We succeeded in surgically resecting a leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava (IVC), which originated at the confluent portion of the right renal vein (RRV), together with the IVC and RRV, and also were able to preserve the right kidney by reconstructing the RRV with end-to-end anastomosis using the right gonadal vein. A good blood flow of the reconstructed RRV was thereafter confirmed by color Doppler ultrasonography, and the renal function was also satisfactory. This new procedure, a reconstruction of the RRV using the gonadal vein, has not been previously reported, but is considered to be an easy and effective method which enables the surgeon to preserve the normal right kidney.