Confección de la ventana pleuropericárdica por videotoracoscopia / Construction of the pleuropericardial window by videothoracoscopy

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Laparoscopic pericardial window.

The creation of a drainage orifice in the pericardium for the release of an accumulated effusion has been proven to be an effective means to eliminate the physiologic effects of a cardiac tamponade. Numerous surgical approaches have been used to create an opening in the pericardium for this purpose. Thoracic and thoracoscopic approaches have been found to produce a fair amount of morbidity by further compromising an already compromised cardiopulmonary system by necessitating an invasion into the hemithorax and the requirement of a thoracostomy tube. This report identifies a laparoscopic technique for the creation of a pericardial window with low morbidity that has been successfully used in 14 patients who presented to the Department of Surgery of the Rapid City Medical Center with clinical evidence of pericardial effusion and tamponade.

Long-term results of surgical subxiphoid pericardial drainage.

A series of 64 consecutive patients who underwent surgical subxiphoid drainage of pericardial effusion over an 11-year period, was analysed both for recurrence of pericardial pathology and survival. The mean follow-up time was 4 years (6 months to 10 years). Twelve patients had recurrent effusion (18%), all except one within 6 months: six patients (9%) had another drainage procedure which was the definitive treatment except in one terminal cancer patient with intractable malignant effusion who died of cardiac tamponade. The remaining six recurrent effusions could be treated conservatively. One patient with idiopathic effusion developed late constrictive pericarditis. Patients with underlying malignancy (n = 26) had significantly worse actuarial survival than the others (actuarial survival at 1 and 5 years of 51% and 0% vs 87% and 76%, respectively). However, their probability of remaining free of recurrence did not differ significantly (actuarial freedom at 1 year of 89% vs 76%). In conclusion, subxiphoid drainage provides a simple, safe and expeditious treatment of most symptomatic pericardial effusions with one in ten patients requiring a repeat drainage for recurrence. In particular, it offers a good palliation in most patients with underlying neoplastic disease. Routine echocardiography is recommended at one and six months to catch most of the recurrent effusions.

Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy for the treatment of large, nonmalignant pericardial effusions in children: immediate and medium-term results.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of pericardial window creation by percutaneous balloon dilation in children with recurrent, symptomatic, nonmalignant pericardial effusion, 6 boys and 4 girls, age 5-12 yr, underwent the procedure using the subxiphoid approach. The procedure was successful in 9 patients. There was one case with rupture of the balloon and entrapment of its distal part within the pericardium. During follow-up (mean 14.6 mo) there was reaccumulation of fluid only in the patient in whom rupture of the balloon had occurred. No other complications were noted. Thus, percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy appears to be a safe and effective technique for the creation of a pericardial window in children with nonmalignant pericardial effusions, and may be used as an alternative to surgical window creation.

Palliative treatment of malignant pericardial effusion: report of two cases and a review of the literature.

Malignancy accounts for 40%-60% of pericardial effusions. Two individuals with malignant pericardial effusions secondary to lung, cancer, managed with the help of a percutaneous balloon pericardial window (PBPW), are discussed in this report. Clinical benefits in terms of reduction of breathlessness and improved diastolic function of the heart were documented in both. There were no procedure-related complications. The PBPW provides quick relief, appears diagnostically superior to an invasive technique and has a low rate of recurrence and complications.

[Video-surgery for pericardial effusion. Technique and results]. / Vidéo-chirurgie des épanchements péricardiques. Technique et résultats.

Videosurgery is a relatively non-invasive method of draining the pericardium by the creation of a pleuropericardial window. It provides an excellent view of the thoracic cavity and allows selection of pericardial and pleural, pulmonary or mediastinal biopsy sites. The authors report their preliminary results with this technique. Between May 1994 and May 1995, 22 patients with pericardial effusions were operated by videosurgery at the Pitié Hospital. None of the patients had clinical signs of tamponade. The technique consists in introducing, through 2 or 3 thoracic incisions of 15 mm, trocarts allowing passage of an endoscopic camera and different surgical instruments. Access to the thoracic cavity enabled assessment of the pleura, evacuation of pleural effusions (n = 8) and biopsy of pleural nodules (n = 2). One pulmonary biopsy was performed. Opening the pericardium enabled evacuation of pericardial effusions averaging 622 ml. Pericardial biopsies showed appearances suggesting tuberculosis (n = 2), lupic vasculitis (n = 1) and post-radiation pericarditis (n = 1). In other cases, a histologic diagnosis of non-specific pericarditis was made. A biopsy of a pleural nodule showed undifferentiated carcinoma in one case. A pulmonary biopsy revealed the presence of relatively undifferentiated carcinoma. There were no complications related to the technique. There was one recurrence of pericardial effusion at one month in a patient with carcinoma of the lung who had previously had subxiphoid drainage. There were no cases of secondary pericardial constriction. Therefore, videosurgery is a relatively non-invasive and effective technique of pericardial drainage and biopsy. When there is no emergency, it is probably the method of choice in the treatment and diagnosis of pericardial effusions.

Inoue balloon pericardiotomy for patients with recurrent pericardial effusion.

The results and follow-up data for 11 patients with recurrent effusion due to various etiologies who underwent balloon pericardiotomy with the Inoue balloon catheter between May 1992 and July 1994 are described. Inoue balloon pericardiotomy was successful in 10 patients (91%), who remained free of pericardial effusion at a mean follow-up duration of 4.2 months. All patients tolerated the procedure well with minimal discomfort and with no complications. Despite good symptomatic relief, 9 patients (82%) eventually succumbed to disease dissemination, with a mean survival time of 1.4 months. It is concluded that Inoue balloon pericardiotomy is a safe and useful alternative to surgical pericardial windowing for the symptomatic treatment of recurrent pericardial effusion.

Percutaneous balloon pericardiostomy for treatment of cardiac tamponade.

Percutaneous balloon pericardiostomy was performed in eight severely ill patients with malignancy (seven patients) and chronic renal failure (one patient). To investigate the feasibility of balloon pericardiostomy as a bedside procedure, echocardiography was used in addition to fluoroscopy in monitoring the procedure. The pericardium was entered from the standard subxiphoid site. An 18 to 25 mm, 3 or 4 cm long, balloon catheter, introduced over a stiff guidewire was inflated across the parietal pericardium. Creation of a pericardial opening was obtained in each of the eight patients. Bleeding from the needle entry site was the only complication observed in one patient. The balloon catheter could be localized by echocardiography only in 2/8 cases. Two patients died, 3 and 14 days after the procedure, from the primary disease; six patients were still alive at follow-up ranging from 32 to 342 days. No recurrence of cardiac tamponade was observed in any patient. Percutaneous balloon pericardiostomy is efficacious and safe in relieving pericardial tamponade and preventing its recurrence in severely ill patients. Fluoroscopy is needed to monitor the procedure. The value of echocardiography is limited for follow-up controls of pericardial effusion.

Cirugía torácica oncológica paliativa / Palliative techniques in surgical procedures for neoplasms

Los pacientes con patología neoplásica del tórax pueden padecer severos síntomas debidos al tumor; éstos pueden a veces ser tratados con procedimientos quirúrgicos, aún cuando el cáncer sea incurable, con el objeto de mejorar la calidad de la supervivencia. Hemos realizado 66 operaciones paliativas, cuyas características se mencionan a continuación. Para los neumotórax epifenómenos que no respondieron a la instalación de drenajes intercostales, hemos practicado resecciones atípicas de los tumores. Se empleó braquiterapia intersticial para reducir la obstrucción traqueal que generaba un tumor lobar superior derecho. Un síndrome mediastinal debido a invasión de la vena por cáncer pulmonar fue temporariamente superado mediante "by-pass" entre la vena yugular interna y la orejuela auricular derecha. Para un caso de carcinoma primitivo pulmonar excavado con bronquiectasias y neumopatía supurada, hemos realizado una lobectomía dejando adenopatías hiliares metastásicas inextirpables. Los grandes derrames pleurales de rápida reproducción fueron sometidos a intentos de pleurodesis con hidróxido de sodio. De 35 casos se logró el objetivo en 21. En 2 pacientes hemos practicado decorticación videotoracoscópica debido a que el pulmón encarcelado por corteza neoplásica no ventilaba luego de evacuar el derrame pleural. Se obtuvo expansión completa en 1 y parcial en el otro. Para derrames pericárdicos neoplásicos que requirieron avenamientos quirúrgicos, preferimos la ventana al exterior, por habernos resultado más útil que la derivación a pleura o a peritoneo. Las neoplasias parietales metastásicas, o primarias ya diseminadas, merecieron exéresis cuando no respondieron a otros tratamientos y dolían o habían invadido los tegumentos. Mediante estas técnicas paliativas, hemos logrado muchas veces el alivio de cuadros dramáticos por su inusitada intensidad, haciéndolos más tolerables y permitiendo una mejor sobrevida (AU)

Video-assisted transportal pericardial window.

Pericardial interventions for the diagnosis and treatment of pericardial disease has been evolving since the 17th century. The controversy over opened or closed procedures, the optimal guidance modality, and techniques for the creation of pericardial windows continues to be debated. This report describes two patients who received the endoscopic approach to creating a pericardial window.

Surgical management of pyopericardium.

Forty three patients with pyopericardium were managed over a six year period. Pyomyositis and septic arthritis were the most common associated conditions and Staphylococcus aureus the commonest microorganism isolated. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated in only three of the cases. Pericardiocentesis and various forms of pericardial windows were found to be associated with high rates of recurrences, inadequate drainage and subsequent constrictive pericarditis. Pericardiectomy should be done as an initial form of surgical treatment where the general condition of the patient permits, since this procedure is not associated with the adverse sequelae of aspiration and pericardial window procedures.

Autologous pericardial flap for prevention of reentry injury in cardiac reoperations.

Cardiac injury during sternal reentry to the heart is a rare but dangerous complication of cardiac reoperations. Positioning a pericardial flap between the heart and sternum at the time of the initial operation may consistently facilitate cardiac reoperation by providing a reliable plane of dissection and by reducing adhesion formation.

Cardiac tamponade caused by primary lung cancer and the management of pericardial effusion.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Between 1978 and 1990, 51 cases of pericardial effusion secondary to lung cancer were treated at the National Cancer Center Hospital by creating a pericardial window, using the subxiphoid approach, that was connected to a water-sealed drainage system. RESULTS: Most patients had advanced disease, such as distant metastasis (76%), pleural effusion (88%), and clinical Stage N2 or N3 disease (98%). Forty-five patients had cardiac tamponade, and six had no symptoms attributable to pericardial effusion. Cardiac tamponade was the initial manifestation of lung cancer in only 3 patients; it was a late manifestation in 48. Of those specimens that were examined cytologically, 92% had positive findings. The interval from creation of the pericardial window until removal of the drainage tube ranged from 4-135 days (median, 11 days). The interval was significantly longer in patients who previously had received thoracic radiation therapy (P < 0.05). The overall median survival was 80 days, and the 1-year survival rate was 10.5%. Postmortem examination showed that constrictive heart failure caused by pericardial lesions was the major contributory cause of death in 32% of patients. Using multivariate analysis, factors indicating a poor prognosis were: (1) the interval from the diagnosis of lung cancer to pericardial effusion development (P = 0.005) and (2) the absence of prior surgery (P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: The creation of a pericardial window effectively treated pericardial effusion in 85% of cases. However, the role of intrapericardial instillation of anticancer or sclerosing agents was unclear in this retrospective analysis.

Use of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene pericardial substitute with ventricular assist devices.

Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane was used to reconstruct the pericardium after ventricular assist device insertion in 7 consecutive patients. One patient remains on support with the membrane in place and 6 have had the membrane removed. The expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane protected the device cannulas during repeat sternotomy and expedited the dissection of the heart and great vessels at the time of device removal. Reconstruction of the pericardium with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane is recommended at the time of ventricular assist device insertion.

Pericardiocentesis.

Cardiac tamponade is a life-threatening condition resulting from compression of the cardiac chambers by a pericardial effusion. The principal cause of pericardial effusion is malignant disease of the pericardium, but infectious causes and cardiac trauma are common as well. The patient with cardiac tamponade demonstrates an abnormal pulsus paradoxus, and clinical signs of shock and impending cardiovascular collapse occur with very severe cardiac compression. Relief of the increased intrapericardial pressure is mandatory to establish adequate cardiac output. The definitive treatment of cardiac tamponade is emergent removal of enough pericardial fluid to acutely lower intrapericardial pressure. Echocardiographic guidance may be used if immediately available, but is not required to perform pericardiocentesis in a critical situation. Placement of a pulmonary artery catheter prior to pericardiocentesis is not indicated in cardiac tamponade. Once cardiac output and tissue perfusion have been restored, further drainage procedures such as pericardial catheter placement or surgical drainage are indicated. Therapeutic measures to address the underlying disease process should be initiated after pericardial drainage is accomplished.

Laparoscopic pericardial window.

The patient with a malignant pericardial effusion can be extremely difficult to treat and provide optimal palliation. The performance of transabdominal laparoscopic pericardial window may prove to be a significant advance in the management of these individuals. No previously reported description of this procedure has been found in the world literature as far back as 1966. A presentation of the case, description of the surgical procedure, and discussion of the therapeutic implications are provided.

Percutaneous pericardial catheter drainage in childhood.

The clinical course of 41 consecutive pediatric patients (mean age 7.6 +/- 5.8 years, weight 27 +/- 22 kg) who underwent percutaneous pericardial drain placement during a 3-year period were reviewed. The most common diagnoses were malignancy (20%), postpericardiotomy syndrome (17%), aseptic pericarditis (12%), and patients recovering from a Fontan type of operation (12%). Indications for drainage included increasing effusion size determined by 2-dimensional echocardiogram (48%), clinical deterioration (33%) and echocardiographic evidence of hemodynamic compromise (12%). Only 3 (7%) patients had clinical evidence of cardiac tamponade. Drainage catheter placement was accomplished percutaneously from the subxiphoid approach. Insertion was successful in all but 1 patient (98%) and successful evacuation of the pericardial space was achieved in 93% of patients. There was 1 death in a critically ill 2-week-old infant and 4 complications, 3 of which occurred in patients aged less than 2 years. Drainage catheters remained in position from 1 to 18 days (mean 3 +/- 3 days) with no late complications. There were 3 instances (7%) of drainage catheter occlusion. These data support the notion that placement of a percutaneous pericardial catheter is safe and effective in providing definitive drainage of the pericardial space in the pediatric age group. Children younger than age 2 years may be at increased risk for complications.