Preoperative and perioperative management of patients with pericardial diseases.

Abstract

Hemodynamic instability is the major concern in surgical patients with pericardial diseases, since general anesthesia and positive pressure ventilation may precipitate cardiac tamponade. In advanced constriction diastolic impairment and myocardial fibrosis/atrophy may cause low cardiac output during and after surgery. Elective surgery should be postponed in unstable patients with pericardial comorbidities. Pericardial effusion should be drained percutaneously (in local anesthesia) and pericardiectomy performed for constrictive pericarditis before any major surgical procedure. In emergencies, volume expansion, catecholamines, and anesthetics keeping cardiac output and systemic resistance should be applied. Etiology of pericardial diseases is an important issue is the preoperative management. Patients with neoplastic pericardial involvement have generally poor prognosis and any elective surgical procedure should be avoided. For patients with acute viral or bacterial infection or exacerbated metabolic, uremic, or autoimmune diseases causing significant pericardial effusion, surgery should be postponed until the causative disorder is stabilized and signs of pericarditis have resolved.

• Authors: Arsen D Ristić, Dejan Simeunovi, Ivan Milinković, Jelena Seferović-Mitrović, Ruzica Maksimović, Petar M Seferović, Bernhard Maisch
• Journal: Acta chirurgica Iugoslavica (Acta Chir Iugosl) Vol. 58 Issue 2 Pg. 45-53 ( 2011) ISSN: 0354-950X [Print] Serbia
• PMID: 21879650 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Topics

• Cardiac Tamponade (diagnosis, therapy)
• Humans
• Pericardial Effusion (diagnosis, therapy)
• Pericarditis (diagnosis, therapy)
• Pericarditis, Constrictive (diagnosis, therapy)
• Perioperative Care
• Preoperative Care