Surgical treatment of post-infarction left ventricular pseudoaneurysm: Case series highlighting various surgical strategies

•Objective: Our experience with post-infarction left ventricular pseudoaneurysms (LVP) and surgical techniques in 13 patients.•Various techniques: 1) direct pledgeted sutures; 2) single patch; 3) double-patch; 4) pericardial patch through the left atrium.•Hospital mortality 4 (30.7%). Literature review: 306 patients with LVP undergoing surgery with 21.2% (65 deaths) mortality.•In conclusion, this study revealed that surgical repair of LVP was associated with an acceptable surgical mortality rate.•Cardiac rupture did not occur. Various techniques are available and should be considered according to the case presentation.

Introduction and objectiveThe left ventricular pseudoaneurysm (LVP) is rare, the surgical experience is limited and its surgical treatment remains still a challenge with an elevated mortality. Herein, it is presented a retrospective analysis of our experience with acquired post infarct LVP over a10-year period.Materials and methodsBetween January 2006 through August 2016, a total of 13 patients underwent operation for post infarct pseudoaneurysm of the left ventricle. There were 10 men and 3 women and the mean age was 61 ± 7.6 years. 4 patients presented acute LVP. Two patients had preoperative intraortic balloon pump implantation.ResultsVarious surgical techniques were used to obliterate the pseudoaneurysm such as direct pledgeted sutures buttressed by polytetrafluoroethylene felt, a Gore-Tex or Dacron patch, transatrial closure of LVP neck in submitral pseudoaneurysm, or linear closure in cases presenting associated postinfarct ventricular septal defect. Concomitant coronary artery bypasses were performed for significant stenoses in 12 patients, ventricular septal defect closure in 4 patients, mitral valve replacement in 3 and aortic valve replacement in 1 patient. Operative mortality was 30.8% (4 patients). Three of them were acute LVP. Three patients required the continuous hemodyalisis and 8 patients required intra-aortic balloon pump. At follow-up two deaths occurred at 1 and 3 years after surgery.ConclusionIn conclusion, this study revealed that surgical repair of post infarct left ventricular pseudoaneurysm was associated with an acceptable surgical mortality rate, that cardiac rupture did not occur in surgically treated patients.