Short-term follow-up of patients after aneurysmectomy of the left ventricle.
OBJECTIVE
Left ventricular aneurysm is a complication of myocardial infarction that can best be treated by reconstructive surgeries that can restore ventricular geometry. We analyzed immediate results in a group of consecutive patients who underwent surgical correction of left ventricular aneurysms.


METHODS
From January '90 to August '99, 94 patients - mean age 58.4 (ranging from 36 to 73 years), 65 (69. 1%) males and 9 ( 30.8%) females - were operated upon. Pre-operative ejection fraction ranged from 0.22 to 0.58 (mean = 0.52), and the aneurysm was located in the antero-lateral area in 90.4% of the cases. Functional class III and IV (NYHA) was present in 82 (87.2%) patients, and 12 (12.7%) were in functional class I and II. Congestive heart failure was the most frequent cause (77.6%), occurring in isolation in 24.4% or associated with coronary artery diseases in 53.2%.


RESULTS
Short-term follow-up showed a 7.4% mortality, and low cardiac output was the main cause of death. Coming off pump was uneventful in 73 patients (77.6%), with a 3.2% mortality and with the use of inotropics in 20 (21.3%). One patient (1%) did not come off the pump.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical correction was adequate in the immediate follow-up of operated patients, and mortality was higher in patients with higher functional class.
Silveira
W L
WL
Grupo CentroCardio, Hospital Santa Genoveva, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
Leite
A F
AF
Soares
E C
EC
Nery
M W
MW
Carneiro
A F
AF
Oliveira
V G
VG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006322:Heart Aneurysm / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000601:surgery