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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

A Surgical Model of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction in Tibetan Minipigs
Published on: February 18, 2022
Localized pericardial constriction resulting in a "dumbbell" heart
Zainul A Hamdulay1, Pawan Kumar, Mohammed Ali
1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Prince Aly Khan Hospital, Mumbai, India.
Abstract:
We describe an unusual case of a young man presenting with calcific constrictive pericarditis. The patient had a history of restrictive cardiomyopathy and pericardial effusion during infancy and received antituberculous treatment. Investigations revealed the presence of thickened pericardium and a thickened calcific constrictive band around the atrioventricular groove posteriorly and over the infundibulum anteriorly. Intraoperatively, the band caused the heart to have a "dumbbell" appearance. A pericardiectomy was performed along with excision of the constricting band. The patient had an uneventful recovery.
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