RT Book, Section
A1 Craig, John M.
A1 Walker, Jennifer D.
A2 Cohn, Lawrence H.
SR Print(0)
ID 55928605
T1 Chapter 61. Pericardial Disease
T2 Cardiac Surgery in the Adult, 4e
YR 2012
FD 2012
PB The McGraw-Hill Companies
PP New York, NY
SN 978-0-07-163310-9
LK accesssurgery.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=55928605
RD 2024/04/16
AB The  pericardium  envelops  the  heart  and  portions  of  the  great  vessels  as  a  protective  capsule.  When  incised  longitudinally  and  transversely  along  the  diaphragm  it  can  be  suspended  from  a  chest  retractor  to  present  the  heart  for  surgical  procedures.  The  surgical  importance  of  the  pericardium  stems  from  its  involvement  in  alterations  of  cardiac  filling.  When  the  limited  space  between  the  noncompliant  pericardium  and  heart  acutely  fills  with  blood  or  fluid,  cardiac  compression  and  tamponade  may  ensue.  Constrictive  disorders  arise  when  inflammation  and  scarring  cause  the  pericardium  to  shrink  and  densely  adhere  to  the  surface  of  the  heart.  This  chapter  discusses  pericardial  anatomy  and  function  and  describes  the  conditions  that  commonly  give  rise  to  the  surgical  problems  of  pericardial  constriction  and  tamponade.  The  chapter  also  describes  the  diagnosis  and  therapy  of  these  entities,  the  management  of  tamponade  early  and  late  after  cardiac  surgery,  and  the  rationale  for  and  against  pericardial  closure  at  the  time  of  cardiac  surgery.