The Association of Minimally Invasive Surgical Approaches and Mortality in Patients with Malignant Pleuropericarditis—A 10 Year Retrospective Observational Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Malignant neoplasms are common causes of acute pleuropericardial effusion. Pleuropericarditis denotes poor patient prognosis, is associated with shortened average survival time, and represents a surgical emergency. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the impact of two minimally invasive surgical approaches, the type of cancer, and other clinical variables on the mortality of 338 patients with pleuropericarditis admitted to an emergency hospital in Romania between 2009 and 2020. All patients underwent minimally invasive surgeries to prevent the recurrence of the disease and to increase their life expectancy. Log-rank tests were used to check for survival probability differences by surgical approach. We also applied univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models to assess the effect of each covariate. Results: No significant differences were found in the 2-year overall survival rate between patients who underwent the two types of surgery. The multivariate Cox proportional regression model adjusted for relevant covariates showed that age, having lung cancer, and a diagnosis of pericarditis and right pleural effusion increased the mortality risk. The surgical approach was not associated with mortality in these patients. Conclusion: These findings open up avenues for future research to advance the understanding of survival among patients with pleuropericarditis.