Palliative iliac vein-to-right atrium bypass in a patient with a prior vena cava ligation for invasive renal cell carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma can involve the inferior vena cava and extend into the right atrium. Cure is rarely achieved in patients with concomitant metastases, but cytoreductive nephrectomy and eradication of the entire tumor thrombus can extend survival and prevent symptoms of venous congestion; however, the invasive nature of the tumor thrombus can make resection with negative margins difficult. We present a patient with aggressive renal cell carcinoma that demanded an iliac vein-to-right atrium bypass after inferior vena cava ligation during a previous attempt at curative resection with nephrectomy and caval thrombectomy.