Impact of pericardiectomy on exercise capacity and sleep of patients with chronic constrictive pericarditis.

Background: Heart failure is associated with exercise intolerance and sleep- disordered breathing; however, studies in patients with chronic constrictive pericarditis are scarce. The purpose of our study was to assess exercise capacity and sleep in patients with chronic constrictive pericarditis (CCP) undergoing a pericardiectomy.

Methods: We studied consecutive patients scheduled for pericardiectomy due to symptomatic CCP.