title: Chronic constrictive pericarditis treated with total pericardiectomy.
abstract: The early and late results of total pericardiectomy performed during a 30-year period in 34 patients with chronic constrictive pericarditis are presented. The overall hospital mortality was 8.8%. The cumulative 5-, 10-, and 30-year survival rates were 79%, 65% and 53%, respectively. Preoperatively, 94% of the patients were classified in functional class III or IV (NYHA classification). After 3 months' follow-up, 94% of the surviving patients were in functional class I or II. After an average 14.2 year follow-up period, 94% of the surviving patients were in functional class I, and of these 72% were in fulltime jobs. It is concluded that the tendency towards early surgery should be encouraged, especially because the chronic state is accompanied by deleterious effects.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010494:Pericarditis, Constrictive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality