Impact of left ventricular function on immediate and long-term outcomes after pericardiectomy in constrictive pericarditis.
OBJECTIVE
Most patients with constrictive pericarditis have normal measures of left ventricular function when assessed by the ejection phase index of ejection fraction, yet there is a wide spectrum of outcome after pericardiectomy. We hypothesized that parameters of non-ejection indexes of cardiac function (+dP/dt and tau) may predict postoperative prognosis.


METHODS
The immediate and long-term outcomes of pericardiectomy were analyzed in 40 patients (30 male, mean age 62 years) with surgically confirmed constrictive pericarditis who underwent preoperative cardiac catheterization using high-fidelity micromanometer pressures. Left ventricular pressures were digitized at 5-msec intervals during end expiration, from which peak positive dp/dt and tau measurements were obtained. Patients were classified into 3 groups: Group 1 (n = 13) included those with abnormal +dP/dt and tau (defined as +dP/dt < 1200 mm Hg/s, tau > 50 msec); group 2 (n = 11) included those with either abnormal +dP/dt or tau; and group 3 (n = 16) included those with normal +dP/dt and tau.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences of gender, New York Heart Association class, duration of symptoms, and underlying cause among the 3 groups. Group 1 patients had lower preoperative ejection fraction and higher left and right ventricular end-diastolic pressures. Postoperative inotropic support was more frequently needed in group 1, and postoperative mortality was higher in group 1 than in groups 2 and 3. All postoperative deaths but 1 were in group 1. The median postoperative follow-up was 2.4 years. The postoperative long-term survival of group 1 was significantly lower compared with that of groups 2 and 3.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with constrictive pericarditis undergoing pericardiectomy, those with abnormal left ventricular contractility and relaxation properties assessed by cardiac catheterization before surgery incur higher operative mortality and poor long-term outcome after surgery.
Ha
Jong-Won
JW
Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn 55905, USA.
Oh
Jae K
JK
Schaff
Hartzell V
HV
Ling
Lieng H
LH
Higano
Stuart T
ST
Mahoney
Doug W
DW
Nishimura
Rick A
RA
D000368:Aged; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010494:Pericarditis, Constrictive / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000601:surgery*; D011379:Prognosis; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*