Combination of eosinophil percentage and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein predicts in-hospital major adverse cardiac events in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Eosinophil levels predict prognosis in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Both eosinophils and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) play a major role in the acute inflammatory response of myocardial infarction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate eosinophil percentage (EOS%) and hs-CRP as prognostic markers for in-hospital adverse events in STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 518 patients. Major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) were defined as cardiac rupture, cardiac arrest, malignant arrhythmia, and cardiac death. Based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, all patients were regrouped into 3 groups (None, One, and Two) according to cutoff EOS% value (≤0.3%) and hs-CRP value (>11.8 mg/L). Both Cox regression analyses and the KM (Kaplan-Meier) survival curve were used to examine the prognostic role of combined hs-CRP and EOS% in cardiovascular events. RESULTS: Of the 518 STEMI patients, 50 of them developed MACEs. Patients who developed MACEs had a significantly lower EOS% and higher hs-CRP than patients who remained MACE-free. In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, the highest risk of in-hospital MACEs was constantly observed in patients with a combined low EOS% and elevated hs-CRP. Patients with reduced EOS% and high hs-CRP had significantly higher incidence rates of cardiac rupture (P = .001), cardiac arrest (P = .001), and malignant arrhythmia (P < .001); furthermore, they had the worst cumulative survival compared with the other two groups. CONCLUSION: Combined reduced EOS% and elevated hs-CRP were valuable tools for identifying patients at risk of in-hospital MACEs.

Clinical and echocardiographic presentation of postmyocardial infarction papillary muscle rupture.

BACKGROUND: Severe mitral regurgitation (MR) can occur following myocardial infarction (MI) with either partial or complete papillary muscle rupture (pPMR or cPMR). Although the incidence of this complication has significantly decreased, it is still associated with significant mortality. We sought to evaluate the different echocardiographic and clinical presentations of pPMR and cPMR. METHODS AND RESULTS: A review of all the urgent procedures for ischemic MR between January 2000 and June 2016 was performed to identify patients who underwent surgery for PMR. Surgical protocols and echocardiographic studies were used to identify patients with cPMR and pPMR. A total of 37 patients had cardiac surgery for PMR (18 cPMR, 19 pPMR). All patients with cPMR were in cardiogenic shock at the time of diagnosis, as opposed to only 53% of patients with pPMR (P = 0.0008). Between the time of diagnosis and surgery, 7 patients with pPMR developed cardiogenic shock. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) led to the diagnosis in 72% of cPMR and 32% of pPMR (P = 0.02). TEE had a yield of 100% for both cPMR and pPMR. Six pathologic varieties of post-MI PMR were recognized on echocardiography and during surgery. Early postoperative, 1 (72% vs 84%), 3 (67% vs 84%), and 5 years (67% vs 74%) survival rates were similar for cPMR and pPMR (P = 0.26). CONCLUSIONS: Partial PMR is associated with a different clinical and echocardiographic presentation than cPMR. Still, most pPMR patients progress toward cardiogenic shock. Prompt diagnosis and referral for surgery are critical and could potentially decrease mortality.

Sutureless repair for postinfarction left ventricular free wall rupture.

OBJECTIVE: Left ventricular free wall rupture is a catastrophic complication of acute myocardial infarction. Sutureless repair has been reported to be an effective surgical procedure for left ventricular free wall rupture. However, the outcomes of sutureless repair remain unclear. METHODS: Between January 2001 and December 2016, 42 patients were treated for left ventricular free wall rupture at Jichi Medical University. Of them, 35 consecutive patients undergoing sutureless repair using the TachoComb (CSL Behring, Tokyo, Japan) or TachoSil (Nycomed, Zurich, Switzerland) patches were included in this study. No patient required cardiopulmonary bypass. The oozing type of left ventricular free wall rupture was observed in 33 patients (94%), and the blow-out type was observed in 2 patients (6%). The rupture sites were the anterior wall in 16 patients (46%), the posterior-lateral wall in 11 patients (31%), and the inferior wall in 8 patients (23%). RESULTS: The in-hospital mortality rate was 17% (6 patients). Re-rupture after sutureless repair occurred in 17% (6 patients). Of them, 4 cases (67%) of re-rupture occurred within 24 hours after surgery. The 2 patients with blow-out type left ventricular free wall rupture experienced re-rupture. Three patients required mitral valve surgery after sutureless repair during the admission. The overall survivals at 1, 5, and 10 years were 71.4%, 68.6%, and 62.9%, respectively. Multivariable analysis revealed that re-rupture was an independent predictor for decreased survival (hazard ratio, 58.6; 95% confidence interval, 4.9-701.6; P = .001). Postoperative pseudoaneurysm formation was not detected during the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Sutureless repair using TachoComb/TachoSil patches can be a viable treatment option for left ventricular free wall rupture. Care should be taken when applying this technique in cases of the blow-out type left ventricular free wall rupture.

Mitral valve surgery for acute papillary muscle rupture.

BACKGROUND: Papillary muscle rupture (PMR) is a rare complication of a myocardial infarction. The aim of this study was to review our results of mitral valve surgery for acute PMR. METHODS: Data from patients undergoing emergent mitral valve surgery for acute PMR between 2011 and 2017 at our institution were reviewed. Outcomes included operative morbidity and mortality, mitral valve reoperation, and hospital readmission. RESULTS: A total of 2479 patients underwent mitral valve surgery during the study period including 24 (1.0%) for PMR. Mean age was 62 years, and two (8.3%) patients had prior open-heart surgery. Overall Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality was 17.5%. Operative mortality was 12.5% (n = 3) with an observed-to-expected mortality ratio of 0.71. There were no strokes, and new onset dialysis was required in two (8.3%) patients. Mean follow-up was 2.40 ± 1.96 years. Three-year mortality, mitral valve reoperation, and readmission rates were 21.1%, 5.0%, and 45.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Expeditious operative intervention for PMR can be associated with acceptable operative and longer-term outcomes.

Association of the SYNTAX Score II with cardiac rupture in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing a primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in reperfusion strategies, medical therapy, and emergent surgery, cardiac rupture (CR) is still a major lethal complication. Numerous parameters have been found to be associated with CR development after a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). SYNTAX Score (SS) and SYNTAX Score II (SSII) have been studied in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients, and higher scores have been associated with higher mortality. However, the relationship between CR and SSII is unclear. This study investigates the possible relationship between CR and SS, SSII in STEMI patients treated with pPCI. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We enrolled 1663 consecutive STEMI patients treated with pPCI, who were divided into two groups according to CR development and compared with each other. Patients were further stratified into the three groups according to their SSII values. RESULTS: In this study, 33 (1.98%) patients developed CR. Both SS and SSII of those with CR were significantly higher than those without (19.27±4.0 vs. 16.40±4.55; P<0.001 and 49.40±16.54 vs. 30.92±11.80; P<0.001, respectively). It was also observed that CR increased gradually according to increasing SSII tertiles. SSII was found to be an independent predictor for CR (odds ratio=1.043, 95% confidence interval: 1.012-1.074; P=0.006). In the long-term follow-up, all-cause mortality was significantly higher in patients with CR than those without (60.6 vs. 8.8%; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study shows that SSII is an independent predictor for CR. Furthermore, patients with CR were associated with a poor prognosis. Closer follow-up of patients with high SSII may be useful in the early detection and treatment of this fatal complication.

Early citalopram treatment increases mortality due to left ventricular rupture in mice after myocardial infarction.

AIMS: Both anxiety and depression are common and independent outcome predictors in patients after myocardial infarction (MI). However, it is unclear whether and how anti-depressants influence remodeling after MI. Thus, we studied cardiac remodeling in mice after experimental MI under treatment with citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor widely used as antidepressant. METHODS AND RESULTS: Treatment with citalopram versus saline was applied via osmotic pump after coronary artery ligation. Two different groups were studied: early treatment during the healing phase (starting immediately after surgery), or late treatment in the remodeling phase (starting 7days after surgery). Late treatment did not change mortality or left ventricular remodeling after MI over the period of 6weeks. However, in the early treatment group mortality was increased in citalopram-treated mice predominantly due to left ventricle rupture without differences in infarct size. Remodeling 4weeks after MI was not altered by the treatment. Neither infiltration of inflammatory cells, as determined by FACS analysis of myocardial tissue, nor mRNA-expression of inflammatory cytokines changed 3days after MI in the early treatment group. However, extracellular matrix functioning was altered: There was a significant increase of MMP13 in citalopram treated animals after MI. Pretreatment with the MMP inhibitor PD 166793 prevented left ventricular ruptures and demonstrated a tendency to improved survival after citalopram treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with antidepressant citalopram in the acute but not in the late phase after MI significantly increased mortality in mice by disturbing early healing. Pharmacological MMP inhibition partially reversed the deleterious effects of citalopram.

Akt-dependent Girdin phosphorylation regulates repair processes after acute myocardial infarction.

Myocardial infarction is a leading cause of death, and cardiac rupture following myocardial infarction leads to extremely poor prognostic feature. A large body of evidence suggests that Akt is involved in several cardiac diseases. We previously reported that Akt-mediated Girdin phosphorylation is essential for angiogenesis and neointima formation. The role of Girdin expression and phosphorylation in myocardial infarction, however, is not understood. Therefore, we employed Girdin-deficient mice and Girdin S1416A knock-in (Girdin(SA/SA)) mice, replacing the Akt phosphorylation site with alanine, to address this question. We found that Girdin was expressed and phosphorylated in cardiac fibroblasts in vitro and that its phosphorylation was crucial for the proliferation and migration of cardiac fibroblasts. In vivo, Girdin was localized in non-cardiomyocyte interstitial cells and phosphorylated in α-smooth muscle actin-positive cells, which are likely to be cardiac myofibroblasts. In an acute myocardial infarction model, Girdin(SA/SA) suppressed the accumulation and proliferation of cardiac myofibroblasts in the infarcted area. Furthermore, lower collagen deposition in Girdin(SA/SA) mice impaired cardiac repair and resulted in increased mortality attributed to cardiac rupture. These findings suggest an important role of Girdin phosphorylation at serine 1416 in cardiac repair after acute myocardial infarction and provide insights into the complex mechanism of cardiac rupture through the Akt/Girdin-mediated regulation of cardiac myofibroblasts.

Trends in the clinical and pathological characteristics of cardiac rupture in patients with acute myocardial infarction over 35 years.

BACKGROUND: There is little known about whether the clinical and pathological characteristics and incidence of cardiac rupture (CR) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have changed over the years. METHODS AND RESULTS: The incidence and clinical characteristics of CR were investigated in patients with AMI, who were divided into 3 cohorts: 1977-1989, 1990-2000, and 2001-2011. Of a total of 5699 patients, 144 were diagnosed with CR and 45 survived. Over the years, the incidence of CR decreased (1977-1989, 3.3%; 1990-2000, 2.8%; 2001-2011, 1.7%; P=0.002) in association with the widespread adoption of reperfusion therapy. The mortality rate of CR decreased (1977-1989, 90%; 1990-2000, 56%; 2001-2011, 50%; P=0.002) in association with an increase in the rate of emergent surgery. In multivariable analysis, first myocardial infarction, anterior infarct, female sex, hypertension, and age >70 years were significant risk factors for CR, whereas impact of hypertension on CR was weaker from 2001 to 2011. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) was a significant protective factor against CR. In 64 autopsy cases with CR, myocardial hemorrhage occurred more frequently in those who underwent PPCI or fibrinolysis than those who did not receive reperfusion therapy (no reperfusion therapy, 18.0%; fibrinolysis, 71.4%; PPCI, 83.3%; P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: With the development of medical treatment, the incidence and mortality rate of CR have decreased. However, first myocardial infarction, anterior infarct, female sex, and old age remain important risk factors for CR. Adjunctive cardioprotection against reperfusion-induced myocardial hemorrhage is emerging in the current PPCI era.

Is it ever possible to treat left ventricular free wall rupture conservatively?

A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether conservative or surgical management would result in better outcomes in patients presenting with left ventricular free wall rupture (LVFWR) following acute myocardial infarction. Surgical techniques involved were infarctectomy + patch repair, suturing of an overlay patch to the defect, patch-and-glue repair and so on, on or off cardiopulmonary bypass. A total of 210 papers were found using the reported searches, of which 10 represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, date, journal, study type, population, main outcome measures and results were tabulated. The studies found analysed the outcome related to conservative and surgical approaches plus the effects of cardiopulmonary bypass circuit and systemic heparinization on bleeding around the peri-infarct myocardial tissue in the surgical group. Most of the data available were either case reports or retrospective analysis of the cohort using the 2 techniques and showed that ruptures present in different sites and sizes. Patients with a milder form of LVFWR can be managed conservatively, but the irony is that it is difficult to identify these patients, because a small oozing-type rupture can increase in size and lead to large defect with sudden arrest of the patient and most probably death. More recently with patch-and-glue techniques, avoiding cardiopulmonary bypass, short- and mid-term survival rates have improved to 60-80% in studies of consecutive patients' series, which illustrates real-life experiences.

Clinical outcome after mitral valve surgery due to ischemic papillary muscle rupture.

BACKGROUND: Severe mitral regurgitation secondary to papillary muscle rupture is an infrequent but catastrophic complication after myocardial infarction. Without surgical treatment, mortality can reach 80%, but surgical treatment also carries substantial perioperative morbidity and mortality. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 28 patients who underwent mitral valve surgery for ischemic papillary muscle rupture. RESULTS: The 30-day mortality rate was 39.3% (11 of 28). There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics, and concomitant coronary artery bypass (CABG) was performed in 66.7% of the survivor group and in 61.5% of the nonsurvivor group (p = 0.245). Mortality predictors included low cardiac output (p = 0.05), renal failure (p = 0.005), and implementation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy (p = 0.005). The time between myocardial infarction and surgery showed no significant effects on survival. CONCLUSIONS: Papillary muscle rupture with severe mitral regurgitation carries a high operative mortality. Additional CABG does not influence the acute postoperative course. Postoperative development of low cardiac output with a need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy and renal failure with hemodialysis substantially reduces survival.

[Mortality of interventricular septum rupture after acute myocardial infarction with surgical management]. / Mortalidad de la ruptura de septum interventricular posterior a infarto agudo del miocardio con manejo quirúrgico.

BACKGROUND: ventricular septal rupture is a rare complication of myocardial infarction. It is considered the most serious mechanical disturbance in these cases. The mortality of patients during the hospital period receiving surgical treatment for this complication is described. METHODS: a case series study, including patients with ventricular septal rupture posterior to myocardial infarction, detected with a retrospective review of records of patients subjected to surgical repair from December 2005 to December 2010. RESULTS: a total of 20 patients were included, with an average age of 56 years (48-65 years), male gender in 16 cases (80%), and a male: female relation of 4:1. Ten (50%) of the patients died; five due to multiple organ failure, one from nosocomial pneumonia, two from ventricular fibrillation, and two from refractory shock secondary to biventricular failure during the surgery. The factors identified for poor prognosis were the average time of 145 minutes on cardiopulmonary bypass, and acute kidney injury in six cases, requiring replacement therapy. CONCLUSIONS: ventricular septal rupture is a rare complication with a high mortality. Without surgical treatment mortality can reach almost 100%. The mortality of this pathology treated with surgical closing in our hospital was 50%, similar to other published reports. Our findings confirm that although surgery for ventricular septal rupture has a high mortality it should be carried out because it is a surgical emergency.

The implications of serum enzymes and coagulation activities in postinfarction myocardial / As implicações de enzimas séricas e atividades de coagulação em ruptura cardíaca pós-infarto do miocárdio

OBJECTIVE: Associations between cardiovascular diseases and serum enzymes or coagulation activities have been sufficiently documented in patients with myocardial infarction. However, the alterations of these biomarkers in patients with postinfarction myocardial rupture have rarely been reported. The aim of this study is to present the profiles of the markers in patients with postinfarction myocardial rupture. METHODS: From 2004 to 2008, 19 consecutive patients were referred to this hospital for surgical repair of postinfarction myocardial rupture. Eight (42.1%) patients had free wall rupture, 5 (26.3%) had papillary muscle rupture, 5 (26.3%) had ventricular septal rupture, and 1 (5.3%) had double structure (ventricular septum + free wall) rupture. Thirteen patients survived the operation, and 6 died. Laboratory findings including serum enzymes and coagulation activities were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: The coagulation markers and serum enzymes except for fibrinogen increased significantly after the development of myocardial rupture. Statistical differences in D-dimer, partial thromboplastin time, peak lactate dehydrogenase, peak creatine kinase and creatine kinase fraction MB were found between non-survivors and survivors. Troponin I values were elevated significantly during the early days after the onset or surgical repair of myocardial rupture. Multivariant regression analysis did not show any significant relationship between creatine phosphokinase fraction MB (Y) and D-dimer (X1) or fibrinogen (X2). CONCLUSION: Myocardial rupture leads to extremely high serum enzyme and coagulation activities except for fibrinogen after the onset. The evaluation of these biomarkers may help in making diagnostic and treatment decisions and in judging the clinical prognosis of such patients.

OBJETIVO: As associações entre doenças cardiovasculares e enzimas sorológicas ou atividades de coagulação foram amplamente documentadas em pacientes com infarto do miocárdio. No entanto, as alterações destes biomarcadores em pacientes com ruptura cardíaca após infarto do miocárdio foram raramente relatadas. O objetivo deste estudo é apresentar o perfil dos biomarcadores em pacientes com ruptura cardíaca após infarto do miocárdio. MÉTODOS: De 2004 a 2008, 19 pacientes consecutivos foram referidos a este hospital para correção cirúrgica de ruptura cardíaca após infarto do miocárdio. Oito (42,1%) pacientes tiveram ruptura livre de parede, cinco (26,3%) ruptura de músculo papilar, cinco (26,3%) ruptura do septo interventricular e um (5,3%) ruptura dupla de estruturas, envolvendo tanto septo ventricular como parede livre. Treze pacientes sobreviveram à operação e seis faleceram. Amostras sanguíneas foram coletadas e analisadas para mensuração de enzimas sorológicas e atividade de coagulação. RESULTADOS: Os marcadores de coagulação e enzimas com exceção de fibrinogênio aumentaram significativamente depois do desenvolvimento da ruptura do miocárdio. Diferenças estatísticas foram achadas entre não-sobreviventes e sobreviventes em relação a concentração de dímeros-D, tempo de trombina, pico de lactato desidrogenase, creatinoquinase máximo e fração MB da creatinoquinase. Os valores de troponina I foram elevados significativamente durante os primeiros dias depois do infarto ou do reparo cirúrgico da ruptura do miocárdio. A análise de regressão multivariada não mostrou qualquer relação significativa entre fração MB da creatinoquinase e dímeros-D nem fibrinogênio. CONCLUSÕES: A ruptura do miocárdio induz importante elevação de marcadores enzimáticos e de atividade de coagulação, exceto fibrinogênio. As diferenças nestes biomarcadores entre não-sobreviventes e sobreviventes podem ser de grande ajuda no diagnóstico e nas decisões de tratamento, assim como na avaliação do prognóstico clínico de tais pacientes.

[Surgery of post myocardial infarction papillary muscle rupture]. / Cirugía de la rotura de músculo papilar por infarto miocárdico.

BACKGROUND: Papillary muscle rupture is a serious complication of myocardial infarction whose only treatment is surgery. AIM: To analyze our most recent surgical experience with papillary muscle rupture. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The database of our Service was reviewed for the period 1995-2005, to identify patients with papillary muscle rupture. Then, the clinical records and operating protocols were analyzed. Survival and functional class of patients were assessed. RESULTS: Twelve patients (7 men), aged 52 to 89 years, had papillary muscle rupture. They represented 2.2% of all mitral procedures for mitral insufficiency and 8.8% of mitral surgeries for ischemic mitral regurgitation, during the study period. In eight cases myocardial infarction was inferior, in three lateral and in one, anterior. In 10 patients, a mitral replacement was carried-out and in two the mitral valve was repaired. In seven patients, myocardial revascularization was performed. Mean lapse between infarction and surgery was 13.5 days (1 to 85). Two patients died in the perioperative period. Follow-up ranged from 1.7 to 120.4 months. Four patients died during follow-up, 2 due to a cardiovascular cause. Thus, at the end of follow-up 6 patients were alive. All were in functional class I-II. CONCLUSIONS: Papillary muscle rupture is an uncommon complication of myocardial infarction, with considerable operative and long-term mortality. However, survivors have good quality of life.

Long-term results after surgical repair of postinfarction ventricular septal rupture by infarct exclusion technique.

BACKGROUND: Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is one of the most serious and life-threatening complications of acute myocardial infarction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the early and long-term results of the patients after surgical repair of postinfarction VSD by infarct exclusion technique. METHODS: A total of 32 consecutive patients (mean age, 62.5 +/- 10.5 years) underwent postinfarction VSD repair using a standardized technique in our department. A retrospective analysis of clinical and operative data, predictors of early mortality, and long-term survival was performed. The localization of VSD was posterior in 50% and anterior in 50% of the patients. RESULTS: The hospital mortality was 31.2% (10 patients). The most common cause of hospital death was persistent low cardiac output. The mortality of the posterior VSD group was significantly lower than that of the anterior VSD group (18.7% and 43.7%, respectively, p = 0.01). Intra-aortic balloon pump support and absence of cardiac shock were significantly associated with a lower risk of hospital mortality (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0009, respectively). The actuarial survival rates of in-hospital survivors at 5 and 10 years were 79% +/- 2% and 51% +/- 3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The repair of postinfarction VSD by the infarct exclusion is feasible and safe. This technique seems to offer sufficient favorable early and long-term results compared with other techniques. Early indication, preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump support may improve the surgical results. Preoperative cardiogenic shock carries a poor prognosis for this patient group.

Short-term and mid-term follow-up of sutureless surgery for postinfarction subacute free wall rupture.

We report our short-term and mid-term results with sutureless repair of postinfarction subacute left ventricular free wall rupture (LVFWR). For this purpose, we evaluated the short-term and mid-term postoperative results assessed by clinical examination and echocardiography of all patients who underwent surgery for subacute LVFWR between January 2004 and January 2009. Twenty-one patients were operated. Direct suture repair of LVFWR was carried out in only one patient. In all other cases we used a pericardial patch with biological glue. Early mortality was 19% (n=4). The median duration of follow-up was 17.3 months (interquartile range, 5-38.7), with a 13-month survival of 76%. Follow-up echocardiography showed no constriction associated with the rupture zone in any patient. According to our early experience, sutureless LVFWR repair is safe, effective and reproducible, and offers acceptable morbidity and mortality during follow-up.

Cirugía de la rotura de músculo papilar por infarto miocárdico / Surgery of post myocardial infarction papillary muscle rupture

Background: Papillary muscle rupture is a serious complication of myocardial infarction whose only treatment is surgery. Aim: To analyze our most recent surgical experíence with papillary muscle rupture. Patients and Methods: The datábase of our Service was reviewed for the period 1995-2005, to identify patients with papillary muscle rupture. Then, the clinical records and operating protocols were analyzed. Survival and functional class of patients were assessed. Results: Twelve patients (7 men), aged 52 to 89 years, had papillary muscle rupture. They represented 2.2 percent of all mitral procedures for mitral insufficiency and 8.8% of mitral surgeries for ischemic mitral regurgitation, during the study períod. In eight cases myocardial infarction was inferior, in three lateral and in one, anterior. In 10 patients, a mitral replacement was carried-out and in two the mitral valve was repaired. In seven patients, myocardial revascularization was performed. Mean lapse between infarction and surgery was 13.5 days (1 to 85). Two patients died in the perioperative period. Follow-up ranged from 1.7 to 120.4 months. Four patients died during follow-up, 2 due to a cardiovascular cause. Thus, at the end of follow-up 6 patients were alive. All were in functional class III. Conclusions: Papillary muscle rupture is an uncommon complication of myocardial infarction, with considerable operative and ¡ong-term mortality. However, survivors have good quality of life.