ABSTRACT
A 71-year-old woman with Lutembacher syndrome was admitted for severe congestive heart failure and cardiac cachexia. The preoperative cardiac catheterization showed a huge secundum atrial septal defect (Qp/Qs=3.08) with mitral valve stenosis, tricuspid valve regurgitation, atrial fibrillation and severe pulmonary hypertension. Patch closure of atrial septal defect, mitral valve replacement (SJM 25mm) and tricuspid annuloplasty (Key's method) were performed. However, she suffered prolonged respiratory failure postoperatively. Enforced alimentation for cardiac cachexia and careful administration for sustained heart failure resuscitated her severe postoperative status. The postoperative cardiac catheterization showed sufficient decrease of pulmonary pressure. Reports of successful surgical correction for Lutembacher syndrome in elderly are extremely rare. This is the oldest case of successful correction for Lutembacher syndrome in Japan. From our experience, the surgical treatment for Lutembacher syndrome should be considered even in elderly patients.