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Constrictive Epicarditis After Open Heart Surgery: The Turtle Cage Operation
Author(s) -
FAGGIAN GIUSEPPE,
MAZZUCCO ALESSANDRO,
TURSI VINCENZO,
BORTOLOTTI UBERTO,
GALLUCCI VINCENZO
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of cardiac surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.428
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1540-8191
pISSN - 0886-0440
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-8191.1990.tb00761.x
Subject(s) - medicine , decortication , constriction , hemodynamics , surgery , cardiology
A bstract A 60‐year‐old man developed constrictive epicarditis within 1 year after isolated mitral valve replacement (MVR). At reoperation, decortication of the thick epicardial layer resulted, impossible without a high risk of injury of the myocardium and major coronary arteries. Therefore, multiple longitudinal and transverse incisions were performed on the epicardial peel, which at the end acquired a turtle cage appearance allowing myocardial reexpansion, relief of constriction, and restoration of adequate hemodynamics.