Free-floating left atrial ball thrombus after mitral valve replacement with patent coronary artery bypass grafts: successful removal by a right minithoracotomy approach without aortic cross-clamp

A free-floating thrombus in the left atrium without attachment to either the atrial wall or the mitral valve is extremely rare. We describe a case in a 79-year-old woman with chronic atrial fibrillation and a recent stroke who had undergone mitral valve replacement 25 years previously and coronary artery bypass grafting 5 years previously. Redo cardiac surgery represents a clinical challenge due to a higher rate of peri-operative morbidity and mortality. Median re-sternotomy can be particularly difficult in patients with functioning coronary artery grafts, where the risk of graft injury is a significant concern. Prompt surgical intervention was carried out, and to avoid the challenge of re-sternotomy in this patient with two prior thoracotomies, we successfully removed the thrombus by a right minithoracotomy approach without aortic cross-clamping. There was no postoperative occurrence of a new stroke or aggravation of the pre-existing stroke.