ELECTIVE SURGERY FOR BLUNT CARDIAC TRAUMA

The cases of eight patients who underwent elective surgery for blunt c ardiac trauma are presented. All but one experienced multiple trauma a nd the median Injury Severity Score was 26 (range, 18-59). A posttraum atic cardiac defect was diagnosed from 1 day up to 6.5 years (median, 3 weeks) after the accident. These included mitral regurgitation (n = 4), ventricular septal defect (n = 2), atrial septal defect with mitra l regurgitation (n = 1), and ventricular aneurysm (n = 1). Elective ca rdiac surgery was performed from 4 weeks up to 12 years after the trau matic event (median, 18.5 months). A history of blunt chest trauma req uires careful clinical follow-up supported by echocardiography in asym ptomatic patients. Surgical therapy is performed according to standard techniques and the results are comparable with those of non-trauma su rgery.