Beneficial effect of pericardial meshing on left ventricular pump performance in dogs.

To evaluate the effects of pericardial meshing (multiple incisions on the pericardium) on cardiac function, we examined left ventricular pump performance before and after pericardial meshing in six open chest dogs. We evaluated left ventricular systolic properties with the slope of end-systolic pressure-volume relation and diastolic properties with end-diastolic pressure-volume relation (chamber compliance). Overall left ventricular performance was assessed with end-diastolic pressure versus cardiac output relation. Left ventricular chamber compliance was increased (31.3%) with pericardial meshing compared with direct closure of the pericardium, and cardiac output was increased (26.7%) for any given left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. The slope of the end-systolic pressure-volume relation was not altered in pericardial meshing. These results suggest that pericardial meshing improves left ventricular pump performance as a result of increasing left ventricular chamber compliance. This technique may benefit cardiac pump performance that is depressed by the direct closure of the pericardium after cardiac operations.