Acute post-infarction left ventricle rupture. Five operations with three long-term survivals.

Cardiac rupture is cause of death in myocardial infarction. Surprisingly only seventeen successful attempts at operative treatment have been published, with a rather good long term survival. The authors report five cases of cardiac rupture operated upon with two deaths and three long term survivals. Frequency, clinical features and surgical possibilities are discussed with particular insistance on a rather aggressive surgical attitude when considering this complication.