Q. What treatment should be used for constrictive pericarditis?
Medical Treatment
1) Judicious use of diuretics to alleviate systemic congestion. This may be enough in some cases of mild CP.
2) Specific treatment of etiology. Any treatable etiology has to be treated, e.g., tuberculosis.
Surgical Treatment
Pericardiectomy will relieve constriction in more than 80 per cent of patients and will provide good symptomatic relief. The procedure carries 10 per cent - 20 per cent mortality. The risk is higher in patients with greater functional disability.