REPAIR OF LEFT-VENTRICULAR WALL RUPTURE A FTER MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION BY BIOLOGICAL GLUE AND PLAQUE OF PERICARDIUM - RESULTS AFTER 2 TO 10 YEARS

The authors report their experience with a simple and efficient techni que for repair of left ventricular free wall rupture complicating myoc ardial infarction. The technique consists, with the aid of cardiopulmo nary bypass, in suturing a plaque of the patients own pericardium (6 t o 8 cm in diametre) to the more normal tissue encircling the pathologi c myocardium, and by injecting five mi of human fibrin glue as a cemen t under the pericardium to reinforce the remair and prevent leaking th rought the suture line. With a 10 year follow-up, we are able to be co nfident with the long term results. The five patients, at the time of operation were aged 46 to 74 years. The post-operative results and the annual echocardiographic controls have proved the technique to be sou nd without recurrences and without late complications such as pseudo a neurisms at the site of the repair.