Constrictive pericarditis: risks, aetiologies and outcomes after total pericardiectomy: 24 years of experience†

OBJECTIVES: Constrictive pericarditis is the result of a spectrum of primary cardiac and non-cardiac conditions. Few data exist on the preoperative risk specific to survival after pericardiectomy. This study was designed to compare the association of aetiology of constrictive pericarditis and other clinical variables, with long-term survival after total pericardiectomy. METHODS: A total of 89 patients were studied, who underwent pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis at a single surgical centre between 1988 and 2012. Constrictive pericarditis was confirmed by the surgical report. Demographic, pre-, intra- and postoperative data and long-term outcome were investigated. Survival was assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Aetiology of constrictive pericarditis was idiopathic in 49 patients (55%), prior cardiac surgery in 21 patients (23.6%), tubercu