Objective: Forty-two patients with pericardial effusion admitted to our clinic between January 1996 - June 2002 were treated through subxiphoid pericardiotomy.

Methods: 23 of patients were male and 19 were female and their ages were between 11 months to 82 years. The procedure was carried out with local anesthesia and sedation in 38 (90 %) patients and under general anesthesia in 4 patients. These 4 patients were not tolerated local anesthesia.

Results: Uremia was most common cause of pericardial effusion. 13 patients with cardiac tamponade were underwent emergency operation. Average drainage volume was 980 ml in patients with uremia, 1040 ml in patients with malignant disease. Two patients were died postoperatively. Thirty-two patients (76.2 %) were followed up to 3 to 20 months, with a mean follow up period of 9±3.8 months. Recurrent pericardial effusion requiring repeated surgical intervention was observed in 4 patients (9.5 %).

Conclusion: Subxiphoid drainage is the procedure of choice for patients with pericardial tamponade. Because, it can be performed quickly under local anesthesia, offers sufficient drainage, biopsy for histopathologic examination, associated with minimal mortality and morbidity and prevents recurrent tamponade.