Long-term follow-up of 82 patients after surgical excision of atrial myxomas.

Objectives: Literature reporting on large patient groups with the long-term follow-up is limited due to the low incidence of myxomas. This single-centre, retrospective study reports on the long-term follow-up (e.g. complications, recurrence and survival) of a substantial patient group operated for cardiac myxomas.

Methods: Patients were retrospectively selected from a prospectively obtained database comprising patients who had undergone cardiac surgery in the Catharina Hospital from 1990 onwards. Baseline characteristics and perioperative data were obtained from the database. In case of insufficient information, medical reports were analysed. The echocardiogram and clinical follow-up data were collected at outpatient clinics.

Results: Eighty-two patients were included, of which 48 were females with a mean age of 61.3 years (±13.8). The main presenting symptom was dyspnoea (29.3%), followed by chest pain (24.4%), palpitations (19.5%) and embolism (15.9%). Atrial fibrillation was the most frequent complication; directly postoperative (22%) and at the long-term follow-up (26.3%). The follow-up was completed in 95.1%, with a mean echocardiographic follow-up time of 72 months and with a longest follow-up of almost 23 years. There were no myxoma recurrences. Thirteen patients (16.5%) deceased during the follow-up, with a mean time of 9 years after surgery.

Conclusions: Myxomas carry the risk of severe complications. Surgical excision is the only option of treatment and gives excellent early and long-term results. Recurrence rates are low in case of non-hereditary myxomas, even in case of irradical excision. The echocardiographic follow-up therefore could be called into question.