Left Ventricular Free Wall Rupture Long-Term Development after Aortic Valve Replacement / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

In 1984, a 67-year-old man had aortic valve replacement surgery for aortic regurgitation; he returned with chest pain on May 15, 2003. Emergency coronary angiography was performed because electrocardiogram revealed ST segment depression in leads V₄ to V₆. However, coronary angiography, echocardiogram and chest computed tomography finding were normal. Therefore the patient was discharged the following day. However, he was re-admitted for chest pain, followed by loss of consciousness 4 days after his initial release. Echocardiogram and chest computed tomography revealed perforation in the lateral wall of his left ventricle (LV) and a “blow-out” type rupture was diagnosed. The patient fell into cardiogenetic shock in the emergency room, and emergency left ventricular free wall rupture (LVFWR) surgical repair was performed under percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS). A round perforation measuring about 10mm in diameter was observed in the lateral LV wall along the course of LCx # 12. The perforation was closed using Teflon strip reinforced mattress sutures. The hemostasis was reinforced with fibrin glue sheet (TachoComb) and polyglygolic acid surgical mesh (Dexon Mesh), with fibrin glue extensively applied. He was discharged on July 17, 2003 without major complications. In this case, the precise cause that led to LVFWR was unknown. Emergency PCPS insertion enabled the LVFWR surgical repair and extensive adhesion due to the previous AVR prevented the massive bleeding to pericardial cavity and the catastrophic hemodynamic deterioration both factors positively contributed to patient recovery.