title: Experience with postinfarction left ventricular free wall rupture.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postinfarction rupture of the left ventricle is a rare event in which approach is not clearly standardised and outcome after repair is unknown. Our experience with this pathology was reviewed to analyze methods of repair and assess outcome beyond the patient's hospitalisation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five patients underwent surgical repair of a postinfarction ventricular rupture between 1990 and 1998. Electromechanical dissociation (3 patients) and sudden hypotension and bradycardia (2 patients) were clinical indicators of rupture. Four patients underwent repair with cardiopulmonary bypass and 1 patient without. Repair consisted of epicardial patching (2 patients), direct suture (1 patient), infarct-exclusion (1 patient), and debridement and patch closure (1 patient) of the rupture. Myocardial revascularization was performed in 3 patients and mitral valve repair in 1 patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A satisfactory hemodynamic state was restored and bleeding was controlled in all patients. Two patients died postoperatively and another patient died 4 months after hospital discharge as a result of cardiac failure and/or sepsis. The other 2 patients are alive and in excellent condition 6 and 30 months respectively after repair.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postinfarction rupture of the left ventricle bears a high mortality, but survival with an excellent quality of life is possible after surgical repair.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland. rene.pretre@chi.usz.ch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prêtre
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Benedikt
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Turina
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018658:Ventricular Septal Rupture / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*