RESUMO
Recurrent or residual ventricular septal defect following operative repair of postmyocardial infarction ventricular septal defect has been reported in many series. Most commonly, this is noted incidentally on postoperative cardiac catheterization or as a murmur in relatively asymptomatic patients in whom no further operation is required. Less frequently, its onset is a catastrophic event leading to the patient's death. On the other hand, the shunt may be sufficiently small to allow time for reoperation. With recent improvement in surgical techniques, more patients with this complication of myocardial infarction have been saved. Recurrent or residual ventricular septal defects have become less frequent, decreasing from a rate of 46% before 1970 to an overall 15% today. Few details have been published about recurrence or persistence of ventricular septal defect following operative repair. The authors report on a patient with a persistent ventricular septal defect following operation and necessitating reoperation. They describe the operative repair and review of the literature on this condition since 1973.