Patient
Shaq, 5 year old male Golden Retriever

Presenting Complaint
Congestive heart failure.  Cardiac ultrasonography identified the cause as pericardial effusion (fluid between the heart and pericardium).  Since no tumor or infectious agent was identified, the effusion was assumed to be idiopathic.  Treatment by removing part of the pericardium typically produces long-term survival as the fluid is absorbed more readily by the larger surfaces within the chest.

Endoscopic Technique
Thoracoscopic resection of a portion of the pericardium, followed by examination of the inside of the pericardium and the heart.

Benefits of using endoscopy
The use of thoracoscopy used 4 small incisions and avoided the need for a traditional thoracotomy and the use of chest retractors.  This is one of the strongest justification for minimally invasive surgery as stress has been confirmed to be less than with traditional chest surgery.

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