Abstract | OBJECTIVE: To determine whether surgical pericardiectomy is a safe and effective alternative to medical management for chronic relapsing pericarditis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective review of 184 patients presenting to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from January 1, 1994, through December 31, 2005, with persistent relapsing pericarditis identified 58 patients who had a pericardiectomy after failed medical management and 126 patients who continued with medical treatment only. The primary outcome variables were in-hospital postoperative mortality or major morbidity, all-cause death, time to relapse, and medication use. RESULTS: Mean ± SD follow-up was 5.5 ± 3.5 years in the surgical group and 5.4 ± 4.4 years in the medical treatment group. At baseline, patients in the surgical group had higher mean relapses (6.9 vs 5.5; P=.01), were more likely to be taking colchicine (43.1% [n=25] vs 18.3% [n=23]; P=.002) and corticosteroids (70.7% [n=41] vs 42.1% [n=53]; P<.001), and were more likely to have undergone a prior pericardiotomy (27.6% [n=16] vs 11.1% [n=14]; P=.003) than the medical treatment group. Perioperative mortality (0%) and major morbidity (3%; n=2) were minimal. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no differences in all-cause death at follow-up (P=.26); however, the surgical group had a markedly decreased relapse rate compared with the medical treatment group (P=.009). Medication use was notably reduced after pericardiectomy. CONCLUSION: In patients with chronic relapsing pericarditis in whom medical management has failed, surgical pericardiectomy is a safe and effective method of relieving symptoms.
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Authors | Masud H Khandaker, Hartzell V Schaff, Kevin L Greason, Nandan S Anavekar, Raul E Espinosa, Sharonne N Hayes, Rick A Nishimura, Jae K Oh |
Journal | Mayo Clinic proceedings
(Mayo Clin Proc)
Vol. 87
Issue 11
Pg. 1062-70
(Nov 2012)
ISSN: 1942-5546 [Electronic] England |
PMID | 23127733
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)
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Copyright | Copyright © 2012 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. |
Topics |
- Adult
- Aged
- Chronic Disease
- Echocardiography
- Female
- Follow-Up Studies
- Hemodynamics
- Humans
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Minnesota
- Pericardiectomy
(statistics & numerical data)
- Pericarditis, Constrictive
(epidemiology, surgery)
- Pericarditis, Tuberculous
(epidemiology, surgery)
- Retrospective Studies
- Secondary Prevention
- Severity of Illness Index
- Survival Analysis
- Time Factors
- Treatment Outcome
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