Simple geometrical infarct exclusion technique with a single patch for postinfarction ventricular septal perforation.

Six consecutive patients underwent emergency surgical repair of a postinfarction ventricular septal perforation. The principle of this technique is a simple three-dimensional repair with a nontailored square patch beforehand, which provides an adequate-sized pouch and prevents dehiscence of the patch being caused by excessive tension on the suture line. It also prevents a residual shunt. A single equine pericardium was sutured to the viable muscle circumferentially around the infarcted area to be excluded, after which the free edge of the patch was tailored and sutured in a pouch configuration. This technique seems to provide satisfactory early results in the acute phase of myocardial infarction.