Systolic and diastolic function after patch reconstruction of left ventricular aneurysms

Left ventricular function after patch reconstruction for postinfarction left ventricular aneurysms is largely unknown. In this study, 16 patients with an anteroseptal-lateral left ventricular aneurysm were treated by reconstruction of the left ventricle using a Dacron patch. Coronary artery bypass grafting was performed concomitantly in 9 patients. The size of the patch used was 57% ± 19% of the resected myocardial scar area, including the sewing cuff area to be sutured. In these patients, the ejection fraction increased significantly from 0.28 ± 0.12 to 0.39 ± 0.12 (p = 0.007) at rest and from 0.32 ± 0.14 to 0.41 ± 0.10 (p = 0.008) during exercise. The left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and left ventricular end-diastolic volume index were reduced significantly from 14 ± 7.0 to 8 ± 3.2 mm Hg (p = 0.032), and from 178 ± 116 to 92 ± 21 mL/m2 (p = 0.016). The peak filling rate was improved significantly from 1.2 ± 0.47 to 1.8 ± 0.6/s (p = 0.048) postoperatively. The ratio of the peak flow velocity during the atrial kick phase to the peak flow velocity in the rapid filling phase, at the level of the mitral valve, improved (p = 0.016) after operation and remained improved up to 16 to 24 months after operation. Patch reconstruction of the left ventricle resulted in the recovery of systolic and diastolic function soon after operation, which has persisted into the late postoperative period.