Is the inferior vena cava dispensable?

Inferior vena caval (IVC) ligation during surgery is considered prohibitively risky. Most of the IVC ligations reported in the literature have been in the context of trauma damage control. There are only anecdotal reports in the literature of a successful elective ligation of the IVC in children. Records from a paediatric tertiary care centre were reviewed over a 20-year period to identify and evaluate patients who underwent an intentional ligation of the IVC during elective surgery. The reports from the literature of IVC ligations were reviewed. The physiologic and anatomic basis for the sequelae of IVC ligation was examined. Intentional ligation of the IVC was done in four patients. Apart from pedal oedema and ascites lasting for 1 and 9 months, respectively, in two of them, none of these patients had any long-term sequelae related to the ligation of their IVC. Adequate collaterals providing satisfactory drainage were demonstrated by Doppler studies postoperatively. We suggest that during surgery, when other options are absent, the IVC can be safely ligated in children, providing a therapeutic benefit to the patient.