Can you survive superior vena cava syndrome?

Survival in patients with SVCS depends mainly on the course of the underlying disease. No mortality, per se, results directly from mild venous congestion. In patients with benign SVCS, life expectancy is unchanged. If SVCS is secondary to a malignant process, patient survival correlates with tumor histology.

How long can you live with superior vena cava syndrome?

Patients with SVC syndrome usually have advanced disease and fewer than 10% survive more than 30 months after treatment (1).

Can you put a stent in the superior vena cava?

Superior vena caval stenting is an image guided technique that restores the venous return in patients with superior vena cava obstruction. The stent is placed via the internal jugular, subclavian vein, or common femoral vein, under local anaesthetic.

What is the main cause of the superior vena cava syndrome?

Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) happens when the superior vena cava is partially blocked or compressed. Cancer is usually the main cause of SVCS.

Can you live without a vena cava?

Absence of the inferior vena cava is a rare vascular anomaly, which usually remains asymptomatic in childhood. It is recognized as the risk factor for deep venous thrombosis, since the collateral circulation does not provide adequate drainage of the lower limbs.

What is the prognosis of stent placement syndrome (SVCS)?

Immediate thrombosis in the stent occurred in the remaining 3 cases. Recurrence of SVCS was observed in 22 patients (15.6 %), including 5 early and 17 late occlusions. Stent dislocation or breakage was not observed. As expected, the survival after implantation was poor.

Is stent necessary in malignant SVC obstruction?

Stenting in malignant SVC obstruction is increasingly been performed as it offers rapid relief of symptoms and gives the patients a better quality of life during their limited life expectancies due to the malignant disease itself. Keywords: superior vena cava syndrome; stent; treatment; palliative; interventional radiology; mediastinum neoplasms.

What is the prognosis of superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS)?

What is the prognosis of superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS)? Author: Todd A Nickloes, DO, FACOS; Chief Editor: Vincent Lopez Rowe, MD more… Survival in patients with SVCS depends mainly on the course of the underlying disease. No mortality, per se, results directly from mild venous congestion.

What is the best treatment for SVC syndrome?

Stenting of SVC has become widely accepted as palliative treatment for SVC syndrome in malignant diseases. Outcomes and complications compare very favorably with standard therapies such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy (1).