Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Repair of Pericardial Hernia in a Heart Transplant Patient

A pericardial hernia is a rare condition in which a pericardial defect allows an adjacent structure to herniate into the pericardium. A 71-year-old man with idiopathic cardiomyopathy underwent left ventricular assist device placement and subsequent heart transplantation. The patient presented 2 years after transplantation with a pericardial hernia of the transverse colon. The patient underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic reduction of the transverse colon and pericardial repair with a GORE-TEX mesh (W. L. Gore & Associates), with resolution of chest discomfort. A pericardial diaphragmatic hernia is a rare complication of left ventricular assist device placement. A robot-assisted platform can be used to reduce abdominal viscera and repair a pericardial defect.