ABSTRACT
Acute left ventricular (LV) failure has been reported after surgical closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) in adult patients. We report acute LV failure in a 56 year old gentleman following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and surgical closure of ASD. Transesophageal echocardiography examination of the patient following closure of ASD and CABG showed a residual ASD and a shunt (Qp :Qs = 1.5). The residual ASD was closed after re-institution of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) under cardioplegic cardiac arrest. However, the patient did not tolerate closure of the residual ASD. The CPB was re-established and under cardioplegic cardiac arrest residual ASD was reopened to create a fenestration. This time patient was weaned easily from CPB. Postoperatively, 16 hours after extubation, patient became hemodynamically unstable, the patient was electively put on ventilator and intra-aortic balloon pump. Later the patient was weaned off successfully from ventilator. Retrospective analysis of pulmonary venous flow diastolic deceleration time (PVDT D ) recorded during prebypass period measured 102 msec suggestive of high left atrial pressure which indicate possibility of LV failure after ASD closure.