Abstract

Altough its etiological reasons have been changed, chronic constrictive pericarditis is still an important and serious pathology. Pericardiectomy can be performed safely as the primary surgical therapy. Tuberculosis is the most frequent etiologic factor, but in developed countries rates of uremic, postoperative and neoplastic pericarditis are increasing. There is an early surgical intervention indication for tuberculous cases with effusion and constrictive form. Today, patients can be evaluated rapidly in preoperative period, decision for operation can be made in time and if it is indicated, safe operations can be performed with cardiopulmonary by-pass.