Aggressive atrial volume reduction for bilateral giant atria improves respiratory function.

Giant bilateral atria with mitral and tricuspid regurgitation can cause postoperative respiratory dysfunction. In this article, we describe a case of giant atria with poor respiratory function that was improved by atrial volume reduction. A 79-year-old woman was referred to our institution for valve surgery. Her vital capacity was 1,080 mL. The mitral and tricuspid valves were repaired during surgery. We removed a circular section of the left atrial wall. The right atrial wall and interatrial septum were removed; this improved her vital capacity to 1,370 mL. We conclude that aggressive volume reduction of both atria improves respiratory function.