Abstract
ABSTRACT
We report a case of malignant pericardial effusion with chronic tamponade treated by video-assisted subxiphoid pericardiectomy in a 58-year-old female. The procedure was performed under local anesthesia through a 3.5-cm midline incision over the xiphoid process using a mediastinoscope, a 5-mm telescope connected to the video camera, and an endoscopic grasper and scissors. A large piece of pericardium (5 cm × 6 cm) over the right ventricle was excised. The patient obtained immediate relief and was discharged on the second postoperative day. Follow-up at 4 months showed no recurrence of effusion. Video assistance allows generous pericardiectomy, and as the rate of recurrence has been suggested to be directly related to the extent of resection, video-assisted subxiphoid pericardiectomy offers a theoretical advantage over the conventional approach, as more pericardium can be excised. We recommend that this technique receive further investigation.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.