Pericardiectomy
Pericardiectomy is a surgical procedure doctors perform to treat pericardial mesothelioma. The surgery involves removing the pericardium, the outer covering of the heart sac. Pericardiectomy may be used to extend life span or to relieve symptoms, depending on the patient. It is not a common procedure, primarily because pericardial mesothelioma is such a rare disease, affecting about 1 percent of all mesothelioma cases.
A palliative pericardiectomy, meant to alleviate symptoms, is often the best option when a patient's mesothelioma is widespread. In these instances, the procedure can help with difficulty breathing, chest pain, heart palpitations and fatigue.
In other patients, pericardiectomy is potentially curative, meaning it may be able to get rid of all cancer growth and lengthen a patient's life expectancy. This is usually an option if mesothelioma is caught early, before it has spread to other areas of the body. In these cases, the procedure can reduce major complications associated with the cancer: It can relieve pericarditis (inflammation of the pericardium) as well as pericardial effusion (buildup of fluid in the pericardium). It's important to treat these conditions early, before they cause deadly complications. If pleural effusion goes untreated, for example, it can put a significant amount of pressure on the heart. This can cause the heart to compress, called cardiac tamponade.
For more information on palliative and potentially curative treatments, fill out the form on this page. The Mesothelioma Center will send you a free, personalized packet with information on treatment options and top doctors.
What to Expect from A Pericardiectomy
Before a pericardiectomy, a patient receives general anesthesia and will remain asleep for the duration of the procedure, which lasts several hours. A surgeon makes an incision between the ribs and spreads the ribs apart with a mechanical spreader, giving access to the heart. The pericardium then is carefully stripped off and removed. Along with it, the surgeon removes fluid in the area as well as tumor growth. Once this is completed, the surgeon stitches shut the initial incision.
A pericardiectomy usually means a hospital stay of one or two weeks, but the exact length of time varies by patient. While in the hospital, the patient receives pain medication as needed, and recovery is monitored by a doctor or nurse. In the first few weeks after surgery, some patients experience complications such as fever, redness, severe pain, swelling or drainage from the incision site. Such complications may result in a longer hospital stay.
Effects on Life Span
Depending on the progression of a patient's mesothelioma, pericardiectomy may improve prognosis or just alleviate symptoms. As a palliative measure, the procedure has little or no effect on life span. One patient in advanced stages of pericardial mesothelioma received a pericardiectomy to relieve symptoms. Because the cancer had already spread beyond the initial site, the procedure had no effect on life span and the patient lived for eight months after the operation.
In other patients with less progressed forms of the cancer, pericardiectomy has better results. In one mesothelioma patient, a potentially curative pericardiectomy was followed by a chemotherapy regimen. This combination proved effective, allowing her to stay cancer-free for three years.
To find out more about pericardiectomy and how it might help you, visit a mesothelioma specialist. An experienced specialist can walk you through every step of the process, from initial symptoms and diagnosis to treatment options and results. For help making an appointment, use the Mesothelioma Center's Doctor Match Program.
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