Postpericardiotomy syndrome following minimally invasive coronary artery bypass

A 62-year-old woman presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with chest pain, cough, subjective fever and chills. Symptoms had begun on the previous evening, three days after minimally invasive coronary artery bypass surgery (MICAB). A presumptive diagnosis of postpericardiotomy syndrome (postcardiac injury syndrome) was made and the patient admitted. This new, minimally invasive surgery allows discharge on the second postoperative day. Emergency physicians should be aware of this procedure since probably there will be increasing performance of MICAB procedures and patients will present to the ED with postoperative complications.