Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy as a therapeutic alternative for cardiac tamponade and recurrent pericardial effusion.

A terminally ill patient with cardiac tamponade secondary to metastatic breast cancer was successfully treated by percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy. The procedure was performed through subxiphoid approach under local anaesthesia and its beneficial effect was maintained until the patient's death from her primary disease. A second, 86-year-old, debilitated patient and a third 52-year-old patient were managed likewise and both left hospital relieved from recurrent severe pericardial effusions. The later two patients have shown no signs of recurrence for fifteen and twelve months respectively.