TY - JOUR AU - Taksinachanekij, Suthep AU - Tantisirin, Cherdchai AU - Prathanee, Sompop AU - Srichalerm, Teerasak PY - 2009/06/30 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Delayed Pericardial Effusion Following Heart Valve Surgery: Aspect of Pleuropericardial Window for Prevention JF - The Thai Journal of Surgery JA - Thai J Surg VL - 30 IS - 1-2 SE - Original Articles DO - UR - https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/ThaiJSurg/article/view/227740 SP - AB - <div><strong>Background:</strong> Delayed pericardial effusion is common after open heart surgery for valvular heart<br>diseases. In particular, cases with cardiac tamponade are associated with significant morbidity and mortality.</div><div><br><strong>Objectives:</strong> The purpose of this study was to investigate whether intra-operative pleuropericardial<br>window of the right pleural cavity could prevent delayed pericardial effusion in patients undergoing conventional<br>valve surgery.</div><div><br><strong>Methods:</strong> A retrospective analysis of 205 consecutive patients undergoing valve surgery and survived<br>during August 2006 to February 2007 at our institution was performed. The patients were divided into two<br>groups: group I consisted of 105 patients who underwent conventional valve surgery alone and group II<br>consisted of 100 patients who underwent conventional valve surgery plus intra-operative pleuropericardial<br>window of the right pleural cavity for prevention of delayed pericardial effusion. Patients with clinical suspicion<br>of delayed pericardial effusion were evaluated by transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography in the<br>first to tenth postoperative week. Other clinical parameters were also analyzed. Differences between groups<br>were demonstrated using the two-sample test of proportion (Z-test) for statistical analysis.</div><div><br><strong>Results:</strong> Delayed pericardial effusion was significantly more common in patients undergoing conventional<br>valve surgery alone, as compared to conventional valve surgery plus intra-operative pleuropericardial window<br>(11 patients versus 3 patients, p &lt;0.05).</div><div><br><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Delayed pericardial effusion was more common in patients undergoing conventional valve<br>surgery alone, as opposed to conventional valve surgery plus intra-operative pleuropericardial window of the<br>right pleural cavity. Thus the intra-operative pleuropericardial window should be performed as an additional<br>procedure for prevention of delayed pericardial effusion following valve surgery.</div> ER -