title: Preoperative and perioperative management of patients with pericardial diseases.
abstract: Hemodynamic instability is the major concern in surgical patients with pericardial diseases, since general anesthesia and positive pressure ventilation may precipitate cardiac tamponade. In advanced constriction diastolic impairment and myocardial fibrosis/atrophy may cause low cardiac output during and after surgery. Elective surgery should be postponed in unstable patients with pericardial comorbidities. Pericardial effusion should be drained percutaneously (in local anesthesia) and pericardiectomy performed for constrictive pericarditis before any major surgical procedure. In emergencies, volume expansion, catecholamines, and anesthetics keeping cardiac output and systemic resistance should be applied. Etiology of pericardial diseases is an important issue is the preoperative management. Patients with neoplastic pericardial involvement have generally poor prognosis and any elective surgical procedure should be avoided. For patients with acute viral or bacterial infection or exacerbated metabolic, uremic, or autoimmune diseases causing significant pericardial effusion, surgery should be postponed until the causative disorder is stabilized and signs of pericarditis have resolved.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade University School of Medicine.
authors: Arsen D
authors: AD
authors: Ristić
authors: Dejan
authors: D
authors: Simeunovi
authors: Ivan
authors: I
authors: Milinković
authors: Jelena
authors: J
authors: Seferović-Mitrović
authors: Ruzica
authors: R
authors: Maksimović
authors: Petar M
authors: PM
authors: Seferović
authors: Bernhard
authors: B
authors: Maisch
mesh_terms: D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D010494:Pericarditis, Constrictive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D019990:Perioperative Care; D011300:Preoperative Care