Surgical treatment for rupture of left ventricular free wall after acute myocardial infarction.

Left ventricular (LV) free wall rupture particularly in blow-out type is still one of the fatal complications after myocardial infarction. Seven patients had LV rupture following acute myocardial infarction. LV rupture was divided into two categories: blow-out type (true rupture) in 5 cases, or oozing type (incipient rupture) in 2 cases. All patients were in deep shock condition and underwent surgery on emergency basis. Patch and glue (fibrin glue) technique was applied for oozing type patients, while direct closure using buttress sutures with additional sutured patch and glue (including GRF glue) technique for blow-out type patients. Surgery was performed on heart beating without cardioplegic arrest. Complete homeostasis and circulatory recovery were obtained in all cases. One blow-out type patient (14.3%), who had preoperative cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA), died of multiple organ failure. Four patients (57.1%) who had preoperative CPA or were in prolonged deep shock resulted in vegetative condition regardless of rupture type. Two patients (28.5%) of blow-out type were successfully rescued without any severe brain complications. No recurrence of free wall rupture was demonstrated during follow-up in all cases. Fifty-seven percent of patients had postoperative vegetative condition because of inadequacy of cardiopulmonary resuscitation including delayed circulatory support. Our surgical procedure provided sufficient circulatory recovery and survival without recurrence, even in patients with blow-out type rupture, as long as prompt resuscitation was performed.