Treatment of cardiac tamponade due to isolated chylopericardium following open heart surgery.

ABSTRACT

Cardiac tamponade due to chylous fluid following open heart surgery in a 41-year-old man, is presented. To our knowledge, this is the fourth reported case in the English literature. Treatment included aspiration of the chylous fluid through a subxiphoid incision and creation of a fistula between the pericardium and peritoneum to prevent the loss of chylous fluid.