Surgical resection of acute post-myocardial infarction ventricular aneurysm. A clinical study.

Clinical follow-up of 24 patients who developed left ventricular aneurysm early after myocardial infarction is presented. All patients developed left ventricular failure within two weeks of infarction. The indication for operation was resistant left ventricular failure in 21 patients and a combination of left ventricular failure and unstable angina in three. Complete occlusion or severe stenosis (greater than 70 per cent) of the left anterior descending coronary artery was the most common findings. There were 3 hospital (12.5 per cent) and 2 late (8.3 per cent) deaths. Impairment of septal mobility was associated with a poor prognosis. All patients who develop progressive left ventricular failure early following myocardial infarction should be clinically and haemodynamically evaluated for the presence of left ventricular aneurysm. Surgical resection of the aneurysm and correction of associated lesions should be aggressively pursued.