[Early operation of ventricular septal rupture complicating acute myocardial infarction]

Four patients underwent successful early operation for post-infarction ventricular septal rupture. The periods from the onset of the rupture to operation were 19.5 hours, 13 hours, 7 hours and 8 days. In early operation, it has generally been thought that the fragility of the myocardium makes the operative technique difficult. With our experience of four cases, it was not difficult to distinguish the infarcted area from the viable one. To perform the successful early operation, it is important to suture at the viable muscle after complete excision of the infarcted muscle, and a patch for ventricular septum and when necessary, for a left ventricular free wall should be used to maintain the left ventricular volume.