Pericardiectomy

Pericardiectomy is offered to patients in whom the sac surrounding the heart is preventing their heart from beating effectively (constrictive pericarditis). This constriction causes the heart to fail with debilitating symptoms including breathless, fatigue and swollen ankles. The operation involves stripping of this outer sac away from the surface of the heart. With a successful pericardiectomy operation, most patients can expect improvement in quality of life, reduced hospitalisation episodes as well as increased life expectancy. Pericardiectomy can be a high-risk operation and may require longer treatment in the intensive care unit for some patients. Mario Petrou has experience in heart failure surgery and heart transplantation surgery which gives him the breadth and depth of experience to manage pericardiectomy patients.