The treatment of patients with recurrent ventricular fibrillation

During the four year period from 1972 to 1975, eleven patients, eight with recurrent and three with first attacks of ventricular fibrillation, underwent aortocoronary bypass graft and/or resection of ventricular aneurysm. All patients had old myocardial infarction from seven weeks to six years. Left ventricular angiography demonstrated discrete aneurysm of the anterior wall of the left ventricle in nine of the patients and akinesis or hypokinesis of the anterior and posterior wall of the left ventricle in the remaining two. Coronary angiography was carried out in ten patients and revealed significant disease of the left anterior descending and right coronary arteries in ten and nine patients, respectively. There was no operative mortality, and there were two late deaths. Eight patients have improved significantly and have had no further sign of ventricular irritability. The present study indicates that aortocoronary bypass graft and/or resection of ventricular aneurysm is an effective method of therapy for patients with repeacted ventricular fibrillation who have ventricular aneurysm and ischemic heart disease.