title: The effect of left ventricular aneurysmectomy on the electrocardiogram: a study of 77 patients and review of the literature.
abstract: Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were reviewed in patients undergoing left ventricular aneurysmectomy. Post-operatively, significant decreases were noted in ST segment elevation (p less than 0.001) and anterior (p less than 0.03) and inferior R wave heights (p less than 0.002). In addition, abnormal Q waves disappeared in 50% of patients. Comparison of ECG changes between survivors and patients dying of cardiac related events revealed that patients with a preoperative axis of greater than or equal to 60 degrees, postoperative leftward axis shifts and a marked decrease in ST segment elevation and/or R wave height had significantly higher mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1) Left ventricular aneurysmectomy affects ventricular depolarization as evidenced by a significant loss of R wave height and changes in infarct pattern; 2) LVA affects ventricular repolarization as evidenced by a significant decrease in ST elevation; 3) the ventricular aneurysm appears to contain "viable muscle" that contributes to ventricular depolarization and remains partially depolarized during diastole; and 4) there are prognostic electrocardiographic parameters, which correlate with mortality during postoperative follow-up.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006322:Heart Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality