Surgical treatment of pericardial effusion in cancer patients.

31 cancer patients with symptomatic pericardial effusion were treated by subxiphoid pericardiotomy with simultaneous pleuropericardial window creation. There were no patients who died during surgery. In all patients, relief of cardiac compression by the effusion was immediate and complete. 10 patients died of advanced malignancy within 30 days after operation without evidence of recurrent pericardial effusion. During the period of follow-up, another seventeen patients died, and no death was related to pericardial effusion. It is concluded that pleuropericardial window through the subxiphoid approach is the treatment of choice for pericardial effusion in cancer patients. The procedure provides immediate and long-lasting relief of cardiac compression with acceptable mortality and morbidity.