Transient constrictive pericarditis following cardiac surgery

Koichi Maeda1, Shunsuke Saito, Toru Toda

  • 1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan.

Insights

Transient constrictive pericarditis after cardiac surgery is rare. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) successfully treated two patients, avoiding surgery.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Cardiac Surgery
  • Pericardial Diseases

Background:

  • Transient constrictive pericarditis (CP) is an uncommon condition.
  • Reports of CP following cardiac surgery are infrequent.
  • This study presents two cases of transient CP post-cardiac procedures.

Observation:

  • Case 1: An 80-year-old male underwent left ventricular free wall rupture repair.
  • Case 2: A 69-year-old female underwent aortic valve implantation.
  • Both patients developed constrictive features approximately two weeks after surgery.

Findings:

  • Constrictive features resolved successfully in both cases.
  • Treatment involved administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
  • NSAIDs proved effective in managing post-operative transient constrictive pericarditis.

Implications:

  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) offer a viable treatment option for hemodynamically stable patients with transient CP.
  • Consideration of NSAID therapy may precede surgical intervention like pericardiectomy.
  • This approach can potentially improve patient outcomes and reduce the need for invasive procedures.

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