Radical mediastinal lipectomy for tamponade-like cardiac physiology.

Background: Re-opening the chest is an unwanted and potentially morbid complication after open heart surgery, most commonly required for refractory bleeding or tamponade. In this report, we present a unique case of a postoperative coronary artery bypass patient, demonstrating clinical features of cardiac tamponade of the right atrium and ventricle with inconclusive findings on imaging.

Case Presentation: A 62 year-old male presented to hospital with exertional angina and a coronary angiogram found severe three-vessel coronary artery disease with preserved left ventricular function.