A Case of Constrictive Pericarditis after Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery Requiring Pericardiectomy / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

A 68-year-old man was referred to our hospital for mitral valve stenosis, tricuspid valve insufficiency and atrial fibrillation. We performed mitral valve replacement, tricuspid valve plasty, and the MAZE operation through a right small thoracotomy under endoscopic assistance. He was discharged uneventfully 7 days after the operation. However, about 2 months later, he developed pericardial effusion, right pleural effusion, and leg edema implying as having right heart failure. Although he was treated with diuretics and steroids, improvement was temporary and he was hospitalized repeatedly. Cardiac catheterization demonstrated dip and plateau pattern of the right ventricular pressure curve. We diagnosed that he has constrictive pericarditis, although the finding of the chest CT was non-specific without remarkable thickening or calcification of the pericardium. We performed pericardiectomy through median sternotomy without pump assist. Leather-like thickening of the pericardium was recognized in the right, anterior, and inferior portion. Resection of the thickened pericardium led to instantaneous improvement of right ventricular motion and drop of central venous pressure. The patient is in NYHA Class I, one year after pericardiectomy. Constrictive pericarditis could occur even after minimally invasive surgery, and that possibility should be kept in mind if intractable right heart failure persists.