Postoperative Pericarditis After Cardiac Surgery in Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Authors' conclusion
Roughly one in five ACHD cardiac surgical cases develop postoperative pericarditis, most frequently after ASD repairs using autologous pericardium or aortic valve replacement, yet only rarely had long-lasting complications.
Study context
- Population
- Adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients undergoing cardiac surgery at a major New York medical centre, 2015–2023
- Participants
- 214 patients
- Outcome
- Incidence of postoperative pericarditis
Methodological detailssingle-centre
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Postoperative pericarditis
Developed postoperative pericarditis
47
22.0%
Cases within first 7 days
37/47, 78.7%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Pericarditis by operation type
- Shunt repair operations
- 27/47, 57.4%
- After atrial septal defect (ASD) repair
- 24/29, 82.7%
- Using autologous pericardium
- 15/33, 45.4%
- Aortic valve replacements
- 10/29, 34.4%
Risk factors for pericarditis after ASD repair (logistic regression)
- Younger age, male sex and Asian race independent risk factors
Safety
Complications of pericarditis
- Recurrent pericarditis
- 4 (8.5%)
- Tamponade or pericardial drainage
- 0
Original publication
Postoperative Pericarditis After Cardiac Surgery in Adult Congenital Heart Disease. JACC Adv. Published 24 September 2025. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it