Right heart surgery is challenging in the minimally invasive cardiac surgery setting, particularly in terms of caval isolation procedures in patients with enlarged and pressurized atria. We describe a novel minimally invasive caval occlusion technique with the use of a balloon catheter designed for temporary large vessel occlusion. A patient with a large ostium secundum atrial septal defect and significant shunt flow underwent a successful minimally invasive closure of the pathological connection between atria with a bovine pericardial patch. The utilized occlusion technique provided excellent visibility of the surgical site and may facilitate minimally invasive procedures in various clinical scenarios.
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