he injuries of the superior vena cava (SVC) are uncommon and usually fatal. Despite the improvements in resuscitation and surgical techniques these injuries are associated with significant mortality, and the majority of the patients die before receiving medical attention, with massive intrathoracic hemorrhage. The authors present a case of a patient with a stab wound of the SVC treated surgically with survival. The offending object was retained inside the SVC making survival possible until the medical attention was avaliable. The authors comment on the clinical and surgical approaches for the presented case