{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T14:12:29Z","timestamp":1790863949978,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":12,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1760140800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCDD"],"abstract":"<jats:p>(1) Background: There has been an increase in the utilization of the minimally invasive vertical right axillary thoracotomy approach for repairing congenital heart defects in children recently. We aim, in the current study, to evaluate the outcomes of this approach in repairing anomalous pulmonary venous connections with or without an associated sinus venosus defect. (2) Methods: A total of 23 consecutive patients underwent surgical repair of anomalous pulmonary venous connections between April 2018 and February 2024. Perioperative and clinical follow-up data were obtained. (3) Results: The median age and weight were 36 months (1\u2013277 months) and 14.4 kg (3.6\u201379.4 kg), respectively. More than half were females (13; 56.5%). There was no conversion to sternotomy. Partial anomalous pulmonary venous connections were the most frequent primary diagnoses (14; 60.9%), followed by scimitar syndrome (3; 13%), while two patients (8.7%) had total anomalous pulmonary venous connections. Repair techniques included single patch in 10 patients (43.5%), Warden in 6 (26.1%), and two-patch technique in 4 (17.4%). The median cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp times were 91 and 62 min, respectively. All patients were extubated in the operating room. The median length of hospital stay was 2 days. There were no mortalities or reoperations for pulmonary\/systemic venous pathway obstruction. (4) Conclusions: Vertical right axillary thoracotomy is a valuable approach for repairing anomalous pulmonary venous connections with or without sinus venosus defects. All repair techniques, including Warden and scimitar, can be performed safely through this approach. The cosmetic superiority and short hospital stay make this approach worth considering.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcdd12100404","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,15]],"date-time":"2025-10-15T06:06:32Z","timestamp":1760508392000},"page":"404","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Minimally Invasive Repair of Sinus Venosus Atrial Septal Defects and Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connections via Vertical Right Axillary Thoracotomy"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2193-0314","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sameh M.","family":"Said","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiac Surgery, Maria Fareri Children\u2019s Hospital, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA"},{"name":"King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21511, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8302-7801","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ali H.","family":"Mashadi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiac Surgery, Maria Fareri Children\u2019s Hospital, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yasin","family":"Essa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiac Surgery, Maria Fareri Children\u2019s Hospital, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kristin","family":"Greathouse","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"M Health Fairview Health System, Masonic Children\u2019s Hospital, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicholas","family":"Brown","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Children\u2019s Hospital, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8747-473X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mahmoud I.","family":"Salem","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Port Said University, Port Said 42614, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Joseph","family":"Giamelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Boston Children\u2019s Health Physicians, Maria Fareri Children\u2019s Hospital, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"753","article-title":"The median sternal incision in intracardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation; a general evaluation of its use in heart surgery","volume":"42","author":"Julian","year":"1957","journal-title":"Surgery"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"276","DOI":"10.1017\/S1047951121001979","article-title":"Advantages of a mini right axillary thoracotomy for congenital heart defect repair in children","volume":"32","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cardiol. 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Pediatr."}],"container-title":["Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2308-3425\/12\/10\/404\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,15]],"date-time":"2025-10-15T06:46:24Z","timestamp":1760510784000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2308-3425\/12\/10\/404"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]]},"references-count":12,"journal-issue":{"issue":"10","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10]]}},"alternative-id":["jcdd12100404"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jcdd12100404","relation":{},"ISSN":["2308-3425"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2308-3425","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]]}}}