Pericardial window

A pericardial window is a cardiac surgical procedure to create a fistula – or "window" – from the pericardial space to the pleural cavity. The purpose of the window is to allow a pericardial effusion (usually malignant) to drain from the space surrounding the heart into the chest cavity – where the fluid is not as dangerous; an untreated pericardial effusion can lead to cardiac tamponade and death.

The window is usually performed by a cardiac surgeon who makes an incision, commonly sub-xiphoid, and cuts a small hole in the pericardium which is the membrane that surrounds the heart.

The pericardial window procedure decreases the incidence of postoperative pericardial tamponade and new-onset atrial fibrillation after the open heart surgery.