Left ventricular external buttress technique for repair of ventricular septal perforation†

Because of the difficulty in placing a suture-supporting extension to a non-infarcted area, ventricular septal perforation repair in the presence of large myocardial infarctions can give rise to life-threatening tears or ruptures of the left ventricular free wall. We report a case of successful reinforcement of an infarction area from outside of the left ventricle using a large, thick polytetrafluoroethylene felt patch. After surgery, the patient was weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass without difficulty. Postoperative echocardiography revealed no residual shunting and he was alive without complications 3 years after surgery.