• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.628-630
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• 1994

Chronic constrictive pericarditis is the end stage of a chronic inflammation that produces a fibrous, thich constricting pericardium with a limitation of a diastolic ventricular filling and eventually systolic ejection as well. We experienced a typical case of constrictive pericarditis and treated successfully by pericardiectomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.935-938
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• 1999

Effusive-constrictive pericarditis is a very rare disease in infants but has high motality rates when not treated. There were some reports of pericardial constriction associated with intrapericardial abscess that led to pericardiectomy. The patient was admitted due to fever, cyanosis, and abdominal distension. We treated the patient with antibiotics and pericardiostomy but the symtoms did not improved, therefore, pericardiectomy was perfomed immediately. The patient with effusive-constrictive pericarditis was immediately relief on the symptoms and the treatment was successful.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.64-67
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• 2011

Constrictive pericarditis is a rare complication after coronary artery bypass grafting In most cases pericardiectomy is required as a definitive treatment. However, there are several types of constrictive pericarditis such as transient cardiac constriction. Some types of constrictive pericarditis can only be managed with medical therapy. We report a 72-year-old female patient who developed subacute transient constrictive pericarditis with persistent left pleural effusion as a result of postcardiac injury syndrome. The patient went through coronary bypass surgery that was successfully treated with postoperative steroid therapy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.184-187
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• 2010

Although it is a rare complication of cardiac surgery, constrictive pericarditis still remains a difficult problem that needs an appropriate treatment after cardiac surgery. We had two patients with constrictive pericarditis presenting with unexplained right heart failure early after cardiac surgery, and the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis was made by a specific finding of septal bounce shown in echocardiographic study. On the postoperative 40th day and 31st day, they underwent pericardiectomy by a left limited anterolateral thoracotomy. For one to two weeks since pericardiectomy, the cardiac failure symptoms were gradually relieved. For patients without improvement of the constrictive symptom and sign even with conservative medical therapy for constrictive pericarditis developed early after cardiac surgery, pericardiectomy by a left limited anterolateral thoracotomy is considered as a useful therapeutic mode.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.184-189
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• 1983

Between 1958 and 1982, 70 patients have undergone pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis at the Thoracic Department of Seoul National University Hosp. 58 males and 12 females, with an average age of 27 years [ranging 3 to 60 years], of which 55% were between 10 and 30 years old, were treated. Eight patients died, of whom 4 were in the immediate postoperative period, less that 24 hours after operation. The cause of death was myocardial failure in 3 patients and hypotension during operation in one patient. The remaining four deaths occurred between the fifth and eighteenth postoperative day, and the causes of death varied: bilateral phrenic nerves injury, congestive heart failure, dissemination of tuberculosis, and cardiac arrest. Two patients suffered from congestive heart failure pre-and postoperatively due to the associated valvular heart disease. There were 8 wound infections on which resulted in perichondritis of costal cartilages requiring segmental resection 2 months later. There was one postoperative bleeding requiring immediate reopening for bleeding control. Tuberculosis was confirmed as the cause of constrictive carditis in 27 patients [39%]. Acute pyogenic pericarditis was precursor in 8 patients [11%]. In 2 patients [2.9%], the constrictive pericarditis developed following OHS. Both suffered from congestive heart failure postoperatively due to the residual valvular heart disease. In the others, the cause of the constrictive pericarditis was considered idiopathic or non-specific inflammation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.793-797
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• 1994

Constrictive pericarditis is often accompanied with ~brothorax and deterioration of cardiac, hemodynamic functions. Surgical relief of fibrous peel causes remarkable improvement in pulmonary, cardiac, hemodynamic function, and subjective symptoms. We experienced 4 cases of constrictive pericarditis combined with bilateral ~brothorax after bilateral pleural effusion caused by tuberculosis and non-specific inflammation. Pleural decortication and pericardiectomy were done at the same time through anterolateral thoracotomy with sternal transection[3 patients] and median sternotomy incision[l patient]. Low cardiac output was the most common complication. With left anterolateral thoracotomy, we could prevent the hypotension from massive retraction for dissecting by median sternotomy, which was good for dissecting from anterior wall of left ventricle to posterior wall of left ventricle and surrounding phrenic nerve. It was enough to dissect the portion being through hard to dissect, right atrium, SVC and IVC.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.8
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• pp.898-901
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• 2006

Constrictive pericarditis represents a rare cause of protein-losing enteropathy in children. Reported is an 11-year-old girl with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) as the principal manifestations of constrictive pericarditis. After total pericardiectomy, symptoms and signs of PLE disappeared. Doppler echocardiography including tissue Doppler imaging is a useful noninvasive initial diagnostic tool for differential diagnosis of diastolic heart failure.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 1995

From January, 1983, to August, 1993, 23 cases of pericardiectomy for chronic constrictive pericarditis were carried out. The 15 male and 8 female patients ranged in age from 7 to 68 years[mean 39.1 years . All patients underwent pericardiectomy through a median sternotomy. Postoperative complications were low cardiac output[2 patients , wound infection[2 patients , pneumonia[2 patients , and unilateral phrenic nerve palsy[2 patients . One patient died of low cardiac output 1 day after pericardiectomy due to the associated transposition of great artery and hypoplastic right lung. Clinical and pathological findings showed that the cause of constrictive pericarditis was tuberculous in 8 cases[34.8% , idiopathic in 12 cases[52.2% and pyogenic in 3 cases[13.0% . Central venous pressure fell below 10cmH2O by immediate in 6 cases, fell below 10cmH2O by 24hrs in 5 cases and continued above 10cmH2O after 24hrs in 12 cases. Preoperative NYHA functional class of patients showed class I-1, classII-4, class III-14, and class IV-3. Postoperativly NYHA functional class was improved to class I-15, classII-6, class III-1.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.179-188
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• 1974

An analysis of &5 cases of constrictive pericarditis treated surgically in this department of Seoul National University Hospital between the years 1958 and 1974 has been presented. 1.Of the patients with constrictive pericarditis,29 were males and 6 were females. Their ages averaged 23.8 years. 2. All patients who had pericardiectomy showed excellent postoperative results, and no operative mortality was noted in this group of patients but 3 hospital death [9.1%] occurred. 3. Besides shortening of circulation time elevated venous pressure was restored to normal range after pericardiectomy from a preoperative average 25.8cm $H_2O$ to a postoperative average 14.8cm $H_2O$. 4. Electrocardiographic changes consisted chiefly of low voltage complexes, P-wave and T-wave changes and characterized by vertical or semivertical heart position. The ECG was returned to normal or near normal after Pericardiectomy. 5. There were seven postoperative complications in this series. 6. In ten cases [32.3%], the pathology revealed evidence of tuberculosis in the pericardium or the myocardium, and others were described as chronic, proliferative, fibrous pericarditis or hyalinization of the pericardium.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.307-310
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• 2002

The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate a good results of a second operation, the Waffle procedure, in a patient who did not improve following pericardiectomy. Incomplete parietal pericardiectomy, myocardial fiber atrophy, and unexpected restrictive cardiomyopathy can be considered when the patient\`s symptom does not improve after pericardiectomy is carried out. Constrictive epicarditis is always ruled out. In our case, the patient having constrictive pericarditis combined with pericardial effusion received a pericardiectomy. However, hemodynamics and symptoms of the patient following the operaltion did not improve. However, we experienced a good result following a second operation., the Waffle procedure.