The medical records of 118 patients (86 male, 32 female, age 10-50 (mean 27) years) who underwent pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis at the Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore, from 1954 to 1985 were reviewed. All had appreciable pericardial constriction. Preoperatively 97 of the 118 were in class III or IV of the New York Heart Association classification and 100 had peripheral oedema or ascites. Tuberculosis was proved as the cause in 72 patients. Pericardiectomy was accomplished through a standard anterolateral thoracotomy (107 cases), median sternotomy (3 cases), or bilateral thoracotomy (8 cases). Postoperatively an apparent low cardiac output state was seen in 34 patients, 12 of whom died. Hospital mortality in the last 12 years was 11%. Mortality was higher in NYHA class III and IV patients. The improved surgical results recently may be related to increased use of inotropic support and prolonged ventilation. At follow up there were 72 patients in whom functional capacity could be assessed; 63 were in class I or II. The poor results of pericardiectomy in some patients are likely to be related to advanced preoperative disability and early pericardiectomy is therefore recommended.
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机译：回顾了1954年至1985年在Vellore的Christian Medical College医院接受了因缩窄性心包炎而进行心包切除术的118例患者（男86例，女32例，年龄10-50（平均27岁））的病历。所有患者均出现明显的心包收缩。术前118例中有97例属于纽约心脏协会分类的III级或IV级，而100例患有外周水肿或腹水。结核病被证明是72例患者的病因。心包切除术是通过标准的前外侧胸廓切开术（107例），正中胸骨切开术（3例）或双侧胸廓切开术（8例）完成的。术后有34例患者出现明显的低心输出量状态，其中12例死亡。最近12年的医院死亡率为11％。 NYHA III级和IV级患者的死亡率较高。最近改善的外科手术结果可能与正性肌支持物的使用增加和通气时间延长有关。在随访中，有72名患者的功能能力可得到评估。一班或二班有63名。在某些患者中，心包切除术的不良结果很可能与术前晚期残疾有关，因此建议尽早进行心包切除术。
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