[A case of surgical treatment of sever constrictive pericarditis with biventricular failure]

A 68-year-old woman had been pointed out a calcification of pericardium on chest X-ray ten years ago. She admitted to our hospital associated with generalized edema. RA pressure.pulmonary capillary wedge pressure.RVEDP.LVEDP increased markedly and low cardiac output coexisted (C.I. = 1.77 l/min/m2). On September 9, 1992, she underwent a total pericardiectomy through mediansternotomy without cardiopulmonary bypass. She complicated a prolonged biventricular heart failure despite total pericardiectomy postoperatively. It was considered that delayed clinical improvement had based on myocardial degeneration or atrophy in long-term morbidity. We recommend a early operative intervention at the clinical hemodynamic deterioration.