Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the effects of posterior pericardiectomy (PP) on rhythm, drainage and tamponade in early postoperative period.

Methods: One hundred patients (77 males, 23 females; mean age 62±9.6 years; range 40 to 78 years) who underwent coronary artery bypass grefting (CABG) between April 2006- January 2009 at our clinic were evaluated retrospectively. Two equal groups were formed as posterior pericardiectomy performed group (group 1) and not performed group (group 2). In group 1, PP was made parallel to the posterior of the left phrenic nerve, and away from the inferior pulmonary vein and diaphragm with 4 cm longitudinal incision.

Results: The difference between the groups with regard to age, sex, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, myocard infarctus (MI), ejection fraction (EF), aortic cross clamp (ACC) time, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time, total volume of drainage, number of the distal anastomosis, extubation time, total volume of the blood and blood products, atrial fibrillation (AF) and inotropic drugs were not statistically significant. Ventricular arrhythmia (VA) developed in three patients (6%) in group 1 and in 14 patients (28%) in group 2. The difference between the groups with regard to VA was statistically significant (p=0.003).

Conclusion: We think that PP is a simple and safe method which may reduce VA.

Keywords : Arrhythmia; coronary artery bypass surgery; posterior pericardiotomy; tamponade