can pericardial effusion recurr after heart surgery?

My daughter has congenital heart defects and had surgery last August to correct sub aortic stenosis and close a VSD.
She had a pericardial effusion following the surgery which then had to be drained.
She has been incresingly lacklustre and unwell looking in the last few weeks and her GP suggests that her outpatients appointment be brought forward and was particularly focusing on the fact that she had had this effusion.  Just so I am not worrying unnecessarly, please can you tell me if these can return later on following surgery, even after being drained?
thanks,
katie

[Douglas Bogart, MD]

It would be quite unlikely to recurr at a late date ie after several months after the surgery.  An echocardiogram would tell for sure however.