Does pericardiectomy improve hemodynamics and survival in patients with constrictive pericarditis?
Pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis provides immediate hemodynamic benefits with low mortality, though long-term outcomes are worse in patients with prior radiation or baseline organ dysfunction.
Pericardiectomy can be performed with low mortality and immediate improvement in hemodynamics. Those patients with compromised cardiac output, abnormal hepatic or renal function, or with previous radiation therapy have reduced long-term survival.
Avgerinos et al. (Fri,) studied this question.