The surgical treatment of chronic constrictive pericarditis: a report of 70 cases

만성 교약성 심낭염의 외과적 치료70례 수술 보고

Between 1958 and 1982, 70 patients have undergone pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis at the Thoracic Department of Seoul National University Hosp. 58 males and 12 females, with an average age of 27 years [ranging 3 to 60 years], of which 55% were between 10 and 30 years old, were treated. Eight patients died, of whom 4 were in the immediate postoperative period, less that 24 hours after operation. The cause of death was myocardial failure in 3 patients and hypotension during operation in one patient. The remaining four deaths occurred between the fifth and eighteenth postoperative day, and the causes of death varied: bilateral phrenic nerves injury, congestive heart failure, dissemination of tuberculosis, and cardiac arrest. Two patients suffered from congestive heart failure pre-and postoperatively due to the associated valvular heart disease. There were 8 wound infections on which resulted in perichondritis of costal cartilages requiring segmental resection 2 months later. There was one postoperative bleeding requiring immediate reopening for bleeding control. Tuberculosis was confirmed as the cause of constrictive carditis in 27 patients [39%]. Acute pyogenic pericarditis was precursor in 8 patients [11%]. In 2 patients [2.9%], the constrictive pericarditis developed following OHS. Both suffered from congestive heart failure postoperatively due to the residual valvular heart disease. In the others, the cause of the constrictive pericarditis was considered idiopathic or non-specific inflammation.