LEFT-VENTRICULAR SHAPE CHANGES INDUCED BY ANEURYSMECTOMY WITH ENDOVENTRICULAR CIRCULAR PATCH PLASTY RECONSTRUCTION

Aneurysmectomy with left ventricular (LV) patch plasty reconstruction for anterior post-infarction LV aneurysm is usually followed by favourable haemodynamic results. The aim of this work was to describe the changes in LV shape induced by the intervention and to correlate them to the pre-operative data and to the surgical results. Twenty-two patients submitted to aneurysmectomy with this technique underwent a haemodynamic study before and 10-15 days after the intervention. Segmental wall motion was studied by the centreline method. LV shape was analysed by calculating the regional curvature of angiographic outlines (RAO 30° projection). Results showed an improvement in LV pump function in 17 patients, which appeared mainly due to increased systolic shortening of the inferior wall. The intervention-induced modifications of LV geometry were characterized by: (1) marked reduction in end-diastolic volume, (2) shift of the angiographic apex counterclockwise, towards the aortic corner, (3) disappearance of the rim with negative curvature corresponding to the infero-apical border of the aneurysm, where the inferior wall resumed a normal outward convexity. No significant difference was found between the pre-operative haemodynamic data of patients who improved after surgery and those who did not. The presence of a rim of negative curvature at the infero-apical border of the aneurysm was the only pre-operative sign with a predictive value for the surgical outcome.