A review of the current status of pericardial closure following cardiac surgery

W. Douglas Boyd*, John V. Tyberg, James Lewis Cox

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

Some cardiac surgeons prefer to close the pericardium whenever possible following surgery, others specifically avoid this practice, and still others believe that neither alternative has any meaningful influence on clinical outcomes. Unfortunately, scientific evidence supporting either approach is scarce, making a consensus regarding best practice impossible. In this article, the known functions of the native intact pericardium are summarized, and the arguments for and against pericardial closure after surgery are examined. In addition, the techniques and materials that have been utilized for pericardial closure previously, as well as those that are currently being developed, are assessed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1109-1118
Number of pages10
JournalExpert review of cardiovascular therapy
Volume10
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2012

Keywords

  • biomaterials
  • cardiac surgery
  • extracellular matrix
  • pericardial closure
  • pericardial substitutes
  • pericardiotomy
  • pericardium
  • postoperative atrial fibrillation
  • resternotomy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Internal Medicine

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