A young patient, recently operated for an atrio-ventricular septal defect by total sternotomy, presented day 3 after surgery a tamponade with a serous fluid.
Non steroid anti-inflammatory was not efficient to avoid recurrence, then a second tamponade occurred on the 12th day after the surgery.
Post-op pericardial effusions are common and generally do not cause tamponade symptoms. Effusions which compress the cardiac chambers can require re-exploration , especially in immediate post-op period. The etiology of the effusion ranges from inflammatory to infectious. Infections can be long lasting and require multiple procedures to resolve.
Majority of post-op effusions are related to the surgery from serous, blood breakdown or inflammatory reactions.
Symptoms include decreased blood pressure, edema and shortness of breath either acutely or chronically.
dear Nicholas Cavarocchi
thanks for you response.
i agree with you. post op periardial effusion don't cause tamponade. i've found the presentation exceptional. the effusion doesn't regresse after many days of unsuccessful treatment by meloxicam 15mg/day. i've decide to put a small dose of a corticosteroid, but finally the effusion regress after few days under ketoprofene 100mg/day. i think that pericardial diffusion is different from a Non steroid anti-inflammatory to another, and that ketoprpfene seems to be more efficient than meloxicam in treatment of pericardial effusion!!! 2 months after surgery, no reccurence is noted.
best regradrs
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