• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.68-74
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• 1986

15 patients with constrictive pericarditis who underwent interphrenic pericardiectomy from January, 1981 to April, 1983 and 11 patients who underwent radical pericardiectomy from May, 1983 to September, 1984 were compared to the clinical improvement and the results of pre- and postoperative cardiac catheterization. In the group of partial pericardiectomy the pericardium was removed anteriorly from the left phrenic nerve to the right phrenic nerve and in the group of radical pericardiectomy the pericardium was removed from almost entire surface of the heart including diaphragmatic surface and posterior wall of the left ventricle. The following results were obtained. 1. Both group of the patients showed marked symptomatic improvement early after operation. 2. The central venous pressure was decreased significantly after operation in both group of the patients. 3. The right atrial mean pressure and pulmonary arterial mean pressure decreased significantly after operation in both group of the patients and there was no significant difference in the amplitude of decrease between the two groups. 4. The right ventricular end-diastolic pressure and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure were decreased postoperatively in both group of the patients and the patients of the radical pericardiectomy showed more decrease than the patients of interphrenic pericardiectomy, and in the group of radical pericardiectomy the right and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure were normalized postoperatively but in the group of partial pericardiectomy they showed abnormally high pressure persistently. 5. The ejection fraction showed normal level pre- and postoperatively in both group of the patients.

• 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.

• 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.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.23 no.4
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• pp.676-682
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• 1990

From August, 1978, to August, 1989, 22 patients underwent pericardiectomy for chronic constrictive pericarditis on the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, School of Medicine, Keimyung University. There were 14 male and 6 female patients ranging from 11 years to 70 years old[mean age, 44. 1 years]. All patients underwent radical pericardiectomy through a median sternotomy. There was 1 postoperative death[4.s%]. This patient died of low cardiac output 7 days after pericardiectomy. Postoperative complications were hemothorax[2 patients], low cardiac output[2 patients], generalized seizure[1 patient], wound infection[1 patient] and pneumonia[1 patient]. Clinical and pathological findings showed tuberculous origin in 12 patients[54.6%], unknown etiology in 8 patients[36.4%] pyogenic pericarditis in 2 patients[9.1%]. Three hemodynamic responses to pericardiectomy were observed: [1] rapid response, where central venous pressure[CUP] fell below 10 cmH2O by 24 hours in 6 patients; [2] delayed response. Where CVP fell below 10 cmH2O by 48 hours in 12 patients; and [3] no response of CVP in 4 patients. Follow-up ranged from 6 to 62 months with an average of 35.3 months. Postoperative Functional Class was obtained for 21 surviving patients and showed 18 patients[81.8%] to be New York Heart Association functional class I or II.

• 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.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.50 no.1
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• pp.22-29
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• 2017

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the preoperative attributes and clinical impacts of complete pericardiectomy in chronic constrictive pericarditis. Methods: A total of 26 patients were treated from January 2001 to December 2013. The pericardium was resected as widely as possible. When excessive bleeding or hemodynamic instability occurred intraoperatively, a cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB; n=3, 11.5%) or an apical suction device (n=8, 30.8%) was used. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those who underwent ${\geq}80%$ resection of the pericardium (group A, n=18) and those who underwent <80% resection of the pericardium (group B, n=8). Results: The frequency of CPB use was not significantly different between groups A and B (n=2, 11.1% vs. n=1, 12.5%; p=1.000). However, the apical suction device was more frequently applied in group A than group B (n=8, 30.8% vs. n=0, 0.0%; p=0.031). The postoperative New York Heart Association functional classification improved more in group A (p=0.030). Long-term follow-up echocardiography also showed a lower frequency of unresolved constriction in group A than in group B (n=1, 5.60% vs. n=5, 62.5%; p=0.008). Conclusion: Patients with chronic constrictive pericarditis demonstrated symptomatic improvement through complete pericardiectomy. Aggressive resection of the pericardium may correct constrictive physiology and an apical suction device can facilitate the approach to the posterolateral aspect of the left ventricle and atrioventricular groove area without the aid of CPB.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.257-262
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• 1984

Acute purulent pericarditis, though not common in incidence after introduction of antibiotics, is still potentially life treating isease. Since 1971, we have experienced 14 cases of acute purulent pericarditis with successful treatment. Among these 14 cases, 9 cases were male and they had high occurrence on their third to fifth decades in age distribution. Isolation of causative organisms were obtained in 11 cases through the bacterial culture of infectious source which was mainly pericardial effusion or blood, and the most frequently recovered organism was the staphylococcus aureus. Pre-existing inflammatory disease preceding to pericarditis, named as antecedent disease, were proved in 12 cases, and among which contiguous extension from the intrathoracic infection such as pneumonia or empyema accounted for the majority of antecedent disease. Pericardiocentesis with administration of antibiotics were tried in all cases, but result in recovery in 1 patient only. Remaining 13 cases had persistent picture of pericarditis and necessitated surgical drainage procedure. Ten of these 13 cases were underwent the open pericardial window using a mode of anterior approach in 4 and subxiphoid approach in 6 cases respectively. Two cases of subxiphoid group were reoperated by the anterior interphrenic pericardiectomy, due to insufficient drain of too thick effusion. In remaining 3 cases, anterior interphrenic pericardiectomy was performed initially because of purulent effusion already changed into fibrinopurulent peel with thickened pericardium. Through the experience of this series, we recommended that pericardiectomy should not be reluctant in purulent pericarditis as a initial surgical procedure for advantage of complete removal of infected space and avoidance of late constrictive pericarditis.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.437-440
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• 2017

A five-month-old, male Domestic Korean shorthair was referred to our hospital with a history of lethargy, anorexia, and globoid cardiac silhouette on thoracic radiography. Physical examination showed dehydration and anemia was revealed on blood analysis. On thoracic radiography and echocardiography, the patient showed pericardial effusion and ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis was performed. A Rivalta test of the pericardial effusion showed a positive result. As the patient had recurrent pericardial effusion, pericardiectomy was performed. He was tentatively diagnosed with wet form feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) and treated with Polyprenyl immunostimulant (PI). Neurological signs were eventually seen and he was euthanized. Histopathologic changes with markedly expanded neutrophils, lymphocytes, plasma cells, and macrophages with fibrous connective tissue and collagenous fibers were detected. Immunohistochemistry for FIP antigen was performed and results showed FIPV-positive multifocal aggregates of cells. Pericardial effusion is an atypical condition in cats with FIP, but can be presented. This case report describes FIP with pericardial effusion in a cat, in which definitive diagnosis of FIP was done using biopsy via pericardiectomy.