title: Technical modifications in the repair of acute ischemic posterior ventricular septal defect without ventriculotomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Transventricular repair for acute ischemic posterior ventricular septal defect is challenging and is associated with high operative morbidity and mortality. We have adopted the alternative technique of transatrial repair and recently have added technical modifications that result in less residual or recurrent septal shunt. This study reports those modifications and the related outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of 10 patients with acute ischemic posterior ventricular septal defect operated from November 2006 through March 2013. The septal defect was repaired through the right atrium with a prosthetic patch. Interlocking sutures and an additional continuous suture line buttress around the perimeter of the patch were added to the repair in four (40%) patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Killip class IV heart failure was present in nine (90%) of the patients, and all received preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump therapy. No patient who received the recent technical modifications experienced a residual or recurrent shunt. However, three (50%) patients who did not undergo this modification developed either a residual septal shunt (n = 1), an early recurrent septal shunt (n = 1), or a ventricular rupture (n = 1). There was no 30-day or in-hospital mortality after surgery, but a single patient died two years after operation due to congestive heart failure. The remaining patients are alive after surgery at a median of 2.0 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The transatrial repair of an acute ischemic posterior ventricular septal defect is a safe technique. The addition of interlocking pledgetted sutures and a patch suture line buttress decreases the incidence of residual and recurrent septal shunt.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murashita
authors.forename: Kevin L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Greason
authors.forename: Rakesh M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Suri
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Joyce
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Stulak
authors.forename: Hartzell V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Schaff
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000601:surgery; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013536:Suture Techniques; D016896:Treatment Outcome