Saturday, November 21, 2009

I wonder what would happen if someone didn't have a pericardium
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 21, 2009 at 11:44 PM

    Well, they remove entire pericardiums when they're diseased, so I assume not too much would happen. I'd assume that there's a higher chance of bruising/damage to the heart as it's lacking some cushioning without it.

    Kochou

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  2. Karen WinfieldNovember 22, 2009 at 10:25 AM

    The pericardium helps keep the heart in position, prevent the heart from overfilling with blood, and protect the heart from being damaged by chest infections. However, the pericardium is not essential to life; if the pericardium is removed, there is little measurable effect on the heart's performance.

    In rare cases, the pericardium is missing at birth or has defects, such as weak spots or holes. These defects can be dangerous because the heart or a major blood vessel may bulge through a hole in the pericardium and become trapped and can result in death. Therefore, these defects are usually surgically repaired; if repair is not feasible, the whole pericardium may be removed.

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