Cardiac tamponade caused by incarcerated small bowel in the pericardium after coronary bypass grafting using the right gastroepiploic artery.

Although rare, herniation of the gastrointestinal contents into the pericardium after coronary artery bypass grafting using the right gastroepiploic artery has been previously described. The associated clinical symptoms vary from gastrointestinal obstruction to cardiac tamponade. We report a patient who presented with cardiac tamponade secondary to incarceration of the small bowel in the pericardium 1 year after coronary artery bypass grafting utilizing the right gastroepiploic artery.