Transdiaphragmatic drainage of pericardial effusion with severe pericardial adhesions.
We describe a method to perform successful drainage of pericardial effusion by incising the diaphragm via the peritoneal cavity assisted by transesophageal echocardiography. This transdiaphragmatic approach is a remarkably simple and useful method for pericardial drainage when the conventional transsubxiphoid approach is difficult and dangerous because of intractable adhesions between the heart and the pericardium.
Ohkado
A
A
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart Institute of Japan, Tokyo Women's Medical College, Japan.
Sato
M
M
Tomizawa
Y
Y
Nishida
H
H
Endo
M
M
Koyanagi
H
H
D000368:Aged; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000628:therapy*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000473:pathology*; D000267:Tissue Adhesions; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional