A 61-year-old female with a history of gastroesophageal reflux disease and hiatal hernia developed hemopericardium and tamponade one day after laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair and Toupet fundoplication. The patient underwent emergency pericardiocentesis and subsequent surgical pericardial window. During surgery, a tack that had been used to secure the mesh to the inferior aspect of the diaphragm was found to have penetrated the pericardium near the right ventricle. The patient recovered without further complications.
A 40-year-old man underwent Collis-Nissen repair of gastroesophageal reflux disease. The night of the operation he became hypotensive and was believed to have cardiac tamponade. Bedside pericardiocentesis was performed with temporary improvement. On returning to the operating room, he coded and died on the operating table. The autopsy findings showed laceration of a coronary vessel.