Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional
Official Title: Evaluation of Different Strategies of Pericardial Drainage After Aortic Valvular Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Trial
Brief Summary: The incidence of pericardial effusion and late cardiac tamponade after aortic and valvular surgery is higher than after other cardiac surgical procedures. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of prolonged mediastinal drainage using small, soft silastic drains (Blake drain, Ethicon USA) versus conventional mediastinal drainage using large chest tubes. A prospective randomized trial.