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Published on: September 9, 2020
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.
Abstract:
Transient constrictive pericarditis (CP) is quite rare, with only a few reports presented. Herein, we report 2 cases of transient CP following cardiac surgery. Case 1 was an 80-year-old man who underwent repair of a left ventricular free wall rupture, while Case 2 was a 69-year-old woman who underwent a conventional aortic valve implantation procedure. In both cases, constrictive features developed about 2 weeks after surgery, which were treated successfully by administrations of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Prior to performing a pericardiectomy, NSAID administration should be considered for affected patients who are hemodynamically stable.
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