[Pericardiectomy of effusive constrictive pericarditis with an ultrasonic scalpel; report of a case].

Effusive constrictive pericarditis is a rare clinical entity characterized by concurrent pericardial effusion and visceral pericardial constriction. The most effective therapy for this state is pericardiectomy with complete removal of the parietal and visceral membranes, although the perioperative mortality and morbidity can be high. We presented a case of a 45-year-old man in whom a visceral pericardiectomy with waffle procedure was successfully performed using an ultrasonic scalpel without use of cardiopulmonary bypass. His postoperative course was uneventful and cardiac hemodynamics restored to normal. There were no signs or symptoms of recurrence in 2 years of follow-up.