Abstract: Ventricular septal rupture is a rare complication of acute myocardial infarction, but it can easily lead to such complications as acute heart failure and cardiac shock with sinister prognosis. Surgical treatment is a fundamental measure to improve the prognosis, and the selection of operation time is a key factor. The basic guiding principles of operation timing are as follows. Those patients who have acute heart failure and/or cardiac shock soon after the onset of ventricular septal rupture, and can not be controlled by nonsurgery therapy and are also unable to tolerate surgery, will die soon. For them, surgery treatment cannot be implemented because they have missed the optimal operation time. For those whose perforation was so small that they can be stably controlled by nonsurgery therapy, surgery treatment can be postponed for 1 to 4 weeks. However, emergency operation should be performed in time once the condition of the patients becomes unstable. For others, no matter in what state they are, surgical treatment should be implemented immediately.
Objective To summarize the surgical experiences of ventricular septal rupture (VSR) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and investigate the time and methods of surgery. Methods From January 1999 to December 2008, 22 patients with VSR after AMI underwent surgical procedures. There were 17 male and 5 female with a age of 3978 years (mean age of 61.77 years). There were 18 cases with anterior VSR and 4 cases with posterior VSR, all of them combined with left ventricular aneurysm. Twentytwo cases underwent ventricular septal repair and aneurysm resection, 16 cases underwent coronary artery bypass grafting concomitantly with a graft of 2.11±1.57. Results There were 2 perioperative deaths (9.09%), 1 died of severe low cardiac output syndrome and 1 died of massive cerebral embolism. The other 20 cases were all cured and discharged. According to cardiac function classification from New York Heart Association（NYHA）, there were 4 cases in grade Ⅲ, 12 cases in grade Ⅱ and 4 cases in grade Ⅰ. Echocardiography showed that there were no VSR shunt and 2 cases with mild mitral valve regurgitation. Postoperative left ventricular enddiastolic diameter (LVEDD) reduced significantly compared with that before operation (50.27±5.33 mm vs. 57.94±6.79 mm, t=4.437, P=0.000). Sixteen cases were followed up, and the follow-up time was 3.24 months (13.9±6.5 months). Four cases were lost. There was no late death and cardiovascular event during following up. There were 11 cases in cardiac function classification (NYHA) grade Ⅱ and 5 in grade Ⅰ. Echocardiography showed that LVEDD reduced significantly (49.50±4.66 mm vs. 57.94±6.79 mm, t=5.041, P=0.000) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) increased significantly (55.08%±6.72% vs. 45.57%±11.31%, t=2.719, P=0.013)compared with those before operation. Conclusion VSR after AMI is one of the serious complications of AMI. Proper operation timing, perfect preoperative preparation, appropriate perioperative treatment, right surgical method and the avoidance of complications can effectively reduce the mortality and improve the prognosis.
ObjectiveTo explore our novel strategy of surgical treatment for ventricular septal rupture (VSR) and the long-term outcomes.MethodsAll the patients referred to the Center of Adult Surgery, Fuwai Hospital were treated with integration treatment of vasoactive agents, intra-aortic balloon pump, or left ventricular assist device. The timing of surgical treatment was individually customized. One hundred and five consecutive patients with VSR (63 males, 42 females ) presented at the mean age of 63 (range, 41 to 80) years. We retrospectively analyzed the results and followed up patients who survived the surgical procedure.Results They were divided into a hemodynamics stable group (25 patients, 2 received emergent operation and 23 received selective operation) and a hemodynamics unstable group (80 patients, 34 received vasoactive agents and selective operation, 4 received vasoactive agents and emergent operation, 20 received vasoactive agent, intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABP), and selective operation, 16 received vasoactive agents, IABP, and emergent operation, 2 received vasoactive agents, IABP, ventilator support, and selective operation, 2 received vasoactive agents, IABP, and ventilator support and emergent operation, 2 received vasoactive agents, ventilator support, and selective operation). There were 3 in-hospital deaths. Ninety-nine patients were followed up, with a follow-up rate of 97.1%. The mean follow-up time was 76.56±47.78 months. There were 2 late deaths during follow-up.ConclusionThe timing of surgical treatment for ventricular septal rupture should be individually customized. The long-term outcomes of ventricular septal rupture patients who survived the surgery are satisfactory.