We describe a case of a 64-year-old man with constrictive pericarditis of unusual anatomy. Preoperative investigations revealed the thickened and calcified pericardial ring encircling the right and left ventricular cavity at the level of the atrioventricular (AV) groove and crossing the left anterior descending coronary artery, leading to strangulation of the heart. Off-pump complete pericardiectomy was performed successfully. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful.
Copyright © 2012 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.