Background: The temporal response to off-pump anteroapical aneurysm plication has not been well defined. We have evaluated the long-term clinical and functional results of this technique and compared the efficacy with the patch modeling repair.
Methods: From March 2005 to May 2010, 163 (115 men and 48 women) consecutive patients were operated on for post-infarction left ventricular aneurysm (LVA), 54 patients underwent patch remodeling (group A) and 109 patients underwent off-pump anteroapical aneurysm plication repair (group B). All patients had simultaneous coronary revascularization, other operative procedures included septoplasty in eight and ablation of ventricular tachycardia in six. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 5 years, short-term and mid-term outcomes, including complications, cardiac function, and mortality, were assessed.
Results: Early mortality was 1.8% for all patients (group A 1 death vs. group B 2 deaths, not significant (NS)). Peri-operative support included intraaortic balloon pumping in 16 (9.8%), (group A 6 patients vs. group B 10 patients, NS) and inotropic drugs in 84 (51.5%), (group A 34 vs. group B 50, NS). During a mean follow-up of (3.7±0.8) years, eight patients died, with four due to cardiac-related causes. No patient required transplantation, and two required use of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator for ventricular tachycardia. Survival at 1 and 5 years was 95% and 86%, respectively. It did not differ significantly between group A and group B. Functional class improved from 2.90 ± 0.59 to 1.65 ± 0.54 among the mid-term survivors (P < 0.001), with no significant difference between the two groups. Pre-operative risk factors for mortality or poor function were ejection fraction (EF) < 0.35 (OR = 7.9, 95%CI 1.6 - 40.0); congestive heart failure (CHF) (OR = 4.4, 95%CI 1.0 - 19.0); end-systolic volume index (ESVI) > 80 ml/m(2) (OR = 3.7, 95%CI 1.0 - 14.0); and advanced age > 70 years (OR = 2.4, 95%CI 1.0 - 12.0).
Conclusions: The technique of off-pump anteroapical aneurysm plication associated with coronary grafting can be performed with low operative mortality, providing good symptomatic relief and long-term survival, and similar results can be achieved with patch modeling repair.