Constrictive pericarditis after myocardial revascularization

Although postoperative constrictive pericarditis is rare, the diagnosis should be considered when unexplained right-sided heart failure develops after cardiac surgery. Within a 6 week interval, evidence of constrictive pericarditis developed in three patients who had recently undergone myocardial revascularization. One patient presented with biventricular failure, pericardial effusion and suspected tamponade. Severe constrictive pericarditis was demonstrated at subsequent operation. An apparent postpericardiotomy syndrome preceded evidence of right heart failure in the other two patients. Etiologic considerations include the possibility that pericardial irrigation with povidone-iodine (Betadine) solution may have contributed to subsequent fibrosis.