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Severe adhesive constrictive pericarditis after coronary artery bypass
Southern Medical Journal
|January 1, 1980
Insights
Constrictive pericarditis developed nine months after bypass surgery. The thickened pericardium was too adhered for surgical removal.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Cardiac Surgery
Background:
- Constrictive pericarditis is a condition where the pericardium becomes stiff and thick, restricting heart function.
- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a common surgical procedure to improve blood flow to the heart.
Observation:
- A patient presented with symptoms of constrictive pericarditis nine months post-triple saphenous vein bypass.
- Clinical presentation included typical signs and symptoms suggestive of constrictive pericarditis.
Findings:
- Cardiac catheterization confirmed the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis.
- Surgical exploration revealed a severely thickened pericardium, densely adherent to the heart and great vessels, rendering pericardiectomy technically impossible.
Implications:
- This case highlights a rare but serious complication of CABG surgery.
- The intimate adherence of the thickened pericardium poses significant surgical challenges, impacting treatment options.
Abstract:
The patient described presented with typical clinical symptoms of constrictive pericarditis nine months after triple saphenous vein bypass. No cause could be found. Cardiac catheterization confirmed the clinical diagnosis. At pericardiectomy a severely thickened pericardium which was intimately adherent to the heart and great vessels made its resection technically impossible.