Study of left ventricular function and myocardial viability in patients with left ventricular aneurysm developed after myocardial infarction. A comparative study of medical and surgical therapy.

We evaluated the treatment of left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) caused by myocardial infarction in 44 patients showing cineangiographical features of left ventricular aneurysm. Of the 44 patients, 28 were treated non-surgically (N-S) and 16 were treated surgically (S). Combined aortocoronary bypass graft (ACBG) with aneurysmectomy was performed on 10 patients. Clinical symptoms in LVA patients were angina (34%), congestive heart failure (31.8%), arrhythmia (29.5%), mitral regurgitation (9%), embolism (4%) and septal perforation (2.3%). Distribution of coronary arterial lesions were single vessel (isolated LAD) 29.5% and multiple vessel 59%. Parameters of LV performance measured at baseline in all LVA patients were: CI 3.05 +/- 0.64 L/min/m2, LVEDP 19.0 +/- 3.5 mmHg, LVEDV 200.6 +/- 25.9 ml, diast. wall stress 50.7 +/- 16.8 g/cm2, EF 0.46 +/- 0.15, LV dp/dt/p 17.8 +/- 2.1 S-1, SWI 61 +/- 24 gm/m2. LV performance after surgery showed clear decreases in LVEDP, LVEDV and wall stress (p less than 0.05, p less than 0.02 and p less than 0.02, respectively). In contrast, EF, LV dp/dt/p and SWI increased significantly (p less than 0.02, p less than 0.1 and p less than 0.01, respectively). Comparison of the results of restudy with first catheterization data in the N-S group showed decreases of EF, contractility index and LV dp/dt/p, each reaching p less than 0.1. Residual myocardial motion 1 year after the first cineangiographic study showed a significant decrease (-12.8 +/- 26.7%) in the N-S group, whereas in the S group it significantly increased to (+60.4 +/- 52.7%). A significant difference in coefficient of variation between N-S and S groups was found. Thus, it can be concluded that aneurysmectomy or concomitant myocardial revascularization with aneurysmectomy improves left ventricular diastolic performance and increases residual myocardial viability.