Successful surgical repair of left ventricular rupture after acute myocardial infarction.

A 61-year-old man with impending myocardial infarction was admitted and treated by percutaneous transluminal coronary recanalization (PTCR) therapy using Urokinase. Patient's symptoms subsided and his general condition maintained stable until the fifth hospital day, when he developed the signs of cardiac rupture. He was operated upon immediately, and the left ventricular rupture was confirmed and repaired successfully. Patient recovered from the surgery well. This report describes the rare successful surgical case of cardiac rupture secondary to acute myocardial infarction in Japan.