[Post-infarction aneurysm of the left ventricle. Pre-operative parameters conditioning the surgical risk and remote results].

83 patients who underwent resection of postinfarction aneurysms involving the anterior wall of the left ventricle were studied to identify possible determinants of operative outcome, long-term survival and long-term improvement. The indications for aneurysmectomy (either isolated or combined with direct revascularization) were congestive heart failure, angina or life-threatening arrhythmias; six patients were asymptomatic at the time of surgery. Operative mortality rate was 14.4% (11.5% for patients operated more than 60 days following myocardial infarction). The over-all survival rate, at a mean follow-up of 31.5 months (range 2 to 82 months), was 74.39%; 80.88% of patient discharged from hospital, exhibited clinical improvement. Mean values of ejection fraction and excess ejection fraction were significantly higher in the group of operative survivors (31.28 +/- 8.26% and 0.17 +/- 0.08 respectively) than those of surgical deaths (20.25 +/- 8.37% and 0.08 +/- 0.06) (p less than 0.005); the coronary score was significantly lower in the group of survivors (6.81 +/- 2.35 vs 8.33 +/- 2.29) (p less than 0.025). Presence of arrhythmias increased operative mortality (33.3% vs 11.2%, p = 0.05), as did a low cardiac output, impaired contraction of the postero-lateral wall and mitral regurgitation. Long-term survival and improvement were not related to anyone of preoperative parameters taken into consideration: however, a higher percentage of clinical improvement was observed when myocardial revascularization was associated to aneurysmectomy (85% vs. 67.7%).