Objectives We did a retrospective study to summarize the surgical experience of anomalous pulmonary venous drainage (APVD) correction and discuss effective way of improving the surgical outcome. Methods From January 1985 to May 2008, 127 patients [56 men and 71 women, aged 14-55 years with an average of (26.79±10.62) years] with APVD underwent surgical treatments. Among them, 13 patients had simple partial APVD with intact atrial septum, 104 patients had partial APVD with atrial septal defect and 10 patients had total APVD. Seventy-one patients of them accompanied with other cardiac anomalies which were also corrected in their operations. Results One early operative death due to severe low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) developed postoperatively, which resulted in a mortality rate of 0.78%. Among other patients, 10 patients complicated with LCOS, 11 patients with arrhythmia, 7 patients with acute renal failure and 4 patients with poor wound healing, all discharged from hospital after treatment. Postoperative echocardiography reexamination revealed 1 case of mild residual shunt in atrial septum but without pulmonary vein stenosis. Conclusion For right atrial and ventricle enlarged patients with or without pulmonary hypertension, surgeons should be vigilance of accompanied APVD whether atrial septal defects exist or not. As long as no contraindications are found, surgical treatment should be performed once accurate diagnosis is obtained.
