ABSTRACT
Mechanical complications of acute myocardial infarction which may lead to heart failure or shock include ruptute of left ventricular free wall, ventricular septum and papillary muscle. The clinical characteristics of these lesions vary conservative management alone has high mortality rate, for which reason surgical repair of these defects are essential. Structural defects including rupture of the left ventricular free wall, ventricular septum, and papillary muscle, accout for 5% to 20% of all deaths from acute myocardial infarction. Among these, ventricular septal defects occur in approximately 1% of all myocardial infarction, and account for up to 2% of deaths subsequent to myocardial infarction. Rupture of the ventricular septum following acute myocardial infarction(AMI) is associated with high mortality rate, as 54% of the patients succumb within two weeks, 87% within two months and 92.5% during the first year. We experienced two cases of postinfarct ventricular septal defects(VSD) which had been repaired within 1 week after AMI due to progressive deterioration of patients` conditions, and were to be reoperated because of repeated septal ruptures in postoperation period and development of cardiogenic shock.