[Surgical treatment of uraemic pericarditis (author's transl)]

Abstract

Surgical therapy was undertaken in 8 patients with uraemic pericarditis. The clinical symptoms and signs, operative technique and results are presented and compared with the relevant literature. Extended pericardial resection after median sternotomy has proved to be the method of choice in the management of pericardial tamponade due to uraemic pericarditis with haemorrhagic effusion. Acute pericardial tamponade is thereby alleviated, relapse prevented and intra- and postoperative respiratory function maintained.