Repair of Postinfarction Interventricular Septal Rupture

Myocardial to occur in approximately 10% of people dying of myocardial infarction, and of these, 12% are associated with perforation of the interventricular septum.¹,²There are more than 250 cases of septal rupture described in the literature; however, less than 15% of these patients have survived more than two months after perforation.³To date approximately 20 patients have been treated surgically.⁴⁻⁶Although the mortality is quite high, earlier and more frequent surgical intervention has been suggested to improve the prognosis. The following report documents the successful repair of a ventricular septal defect which occurred during the course of an acute myocardial infarction. The clinical manifestations and present criteria for management of these patients are reviewed. Patient Summary A 48-year-old aircraft mechanic was admitted to a nearby hospital on May 8, 1967, following two to three hours of severe chest pain, breathlessness, and diaphoresis. He had an 18-year