[On 23 cases of postinfartual interventricular septal rupture s]

Twenty-three patients with ventricular spetal rupture complicating acute myocardial infarction underwent surgical repair. In 15 patients the interval between occurrence of myocardial infarction and operation varied from 2 to 18 days and in 8, from 2 to 9 months. In the group of the patients operated on early after the myocardial infraction (less than three weeks) the hospital mortality was 60%; in the group of patients operated on later, the ospital mortality was 12%. Tir six patients had a cardiac catheterization which showed a decrease of the end diastolic left ventricular pressure and a decrease of the pulmonary pressure. In two patients a residual small left-to-right shunt was present. The Aentricular septum is surgical; B) the surgical closure of the rupture should be delayed when possible from three to six w-eks after the infarction; C) in the patients operated on early after the myocardial infarction the operative risk is high, but the long-term results are good, as they are in the patients operated on later after infarction.