Emergency cardiac procedures in patients in cardiogenic shock due to complications of coronary artery disease.

Onset of cardiogenic shock in patients with various manifestations of acute myocardial ischemia has high mortality, but use of improved hemodynamic monitoring, the intra-aortic balloon pump, and early operation have improved previously dismal results. Review of published experience spanning the last 20 years indicates that 66% of patients survive after emergency myocardial revascularization for acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock. If cardiac damage is overwhelming and irreversible, selected patients may be "bridged" with mechanical biventricular circulatory assist devices and transplanted. Infarctectomy for acute myocardial infarction remains controversial and unproven; successful repair of free left ventricular wall rupture is uncommon. In patients with cardiogenic shock, operations for acute postinfarction ventricular septal defect or mitral insufficiency have operative survival rates of 45% and 54%, respectively. Long-term (greater than 2-year) survival for patients after repair of acute postinfarction ventricular septal defect is 84%. However, 5-year survival after successful operation for acute postinfarction mitral insufficiency complicated by cardiogenic shock is only 40%.