Effect of Pericardial Closure on the Right Ventricular Function Post Cardiac Surgery

The right ventricular (RV) function has a major influence on the outcomes of cardiac surgery\[1,2\]. Also affects the prognosis of patients undergoing heart surgery, where the development of right ventricular failure after surgery is linked to higher rates of morbidity and mortality\[3\]. Significant clinical consequences result from perioperative impairment of RV function, including increased need for inotropic support, prolonged intensive care unit admission, higher rates of hospital readmission, and a higher risk of in-hospital mortality.\[2,4\]. Regardless of the use of cardiopulmonary bypass, longitudinal evaluations of RV systolic function, such as tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and tricuspid annular systolic velocity (TASV/S'), frequently decrease following elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) \[6,7\]. Loss of pericardial restriction during pericardiotomy, ischemia from inadequate myocardial protection, and postoperative adhesions that modify RV shape and contraction patterns are theories explaining these perioperative alterations \[4,8\]. This study employed standard transthoracic echocardiography and speckle-tracking deformation analysis for the assessment of the effect of closing the pericardium on RV function post operatively versus leaving it open.