Adjuvant Pericardial Sac Restraining in Heart Failure Treatment. A Medical Hypothesis Illustrated by a Case Report

Braz J Cardiovasc Surg. 2016 Feb;31(1):66-9. doi: 10.5935/1678-9741.20160004.

Abstract

Ventricular constraint therapy has been used to prevent and reverse the progression of heart failure in ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathies. We hypothesized that ventricular restraint should be tried by closing the pericardium that was previously opened following left ventricle topographical projection. The surgical technique presentation is illustrated by a remarkable 13-year outcome of one patient with dilated cardiomyopathy treated surgically by mitral prosthesis, Cox/Maze III surgery to treat atrial fibrillation, and associated to the ventricular constraint using the patient's own pericardium. The ventricular pericardial restraint role is unclear, since the patient had multiple corrections that could be responsible for the good outcome; however it is viable deserving investigations.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Atrial Fibrillation / surgery
  • Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / surgery
  • Heart Failure / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Failure / surgery*
  • Heart Valve Prosthesis
  • Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation
  • Heart Ventricles / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Ventricles / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Medical Illustration
  • Middle Aged
  • Mitral Valve / surgery
  • Pericardium / diagnostic imaging
  • Pericardium / surgery*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Ultrasonography