Contemporary Etiologies, Risk Factors, and Outcomes After Pericardiectomy

Background The leading causes of constrictive pericarditis have changed over time leading to a commensurate change in the indications and complexity of surgical pericardiectomy. We evaluated our single-center experience to define the etiologies, risk factors, and outcomes of pericardiectomy in a modern cohort. Methods We retrospectively reviewed our institutional database for all patients who underwent total or partial pericardiectomy. Demographic, comorbid, operative, and outcome data were evaluated. Survival was assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models examined risk factors for mortality. Results From 1995 to 2010, 98 adults underwent pericardiectomy for constrictive disease. The most common etiologies were idiopathic (n = 44), postoperative (n = 30), and post radiation (n = 17). Total pericardiectomy was performed in 94 cases, most commonly through a sternotomy (n = 93). Thirty-three cases were redo sternotomies, 34 underwent a concomitant procedure, and 34 required cardiopulmonary bypass. Overall in-hospital, 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year survival rates were 92.9%, 82.5%, 64.3%, and 49.2%, respectively. Survival differed sharply by etiology with idiopathic, postoperative, and post-radiation 5-year survivals of 79.8%, 55.9%, and 11.0%, respectively ( p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, only the need for cardiopulmonary bypass (hazard ratio [HR]: 21.2, p = 0.02) was predictive of 30-day mortality while post-radiation etiology (HR: 3.19, p = 0.02) and hypoalbuminemia (HR: 0.57, p = 0.03) were associated with increased 10-year mortality. Conclusions Although survival varies significantly by etiology, pericardiectomy continues to be a safe operation for constrictive pericarditis. Post-radiation pericarditis and hypoalbuminemia are significant risk factors for decreased long-term survival.