Annals of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery : official journal of the Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia
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Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Apr 1999
Case ReportsBlunt traumatic rupture of the heart: case report and selected review.
Cardiac rupture is a common complication following blunt thoracic trauma. Blunt traumatic rupture of the heart is a frequent cause of death. ⋯ Rapid evaluation and expeditious management may increase the number of survivors. We present here an illustrative case report and selected review of literature regarding clinical presentation, mechanism of injury, investigation and treatment.
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Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Apr 1999
Surgical management of blunt traumatic rupture of the descending thoracic aorta.
Acute rupture of the descending thoracic aorta following blunt trauma is a life-threatening injury that requires emergent operative intervention. From February 1989 to January 1997, 4 patients with multiple injuries including traumatic rupture in the region of the aortic isthmus were surgically treated at our institution. Diagnosis was confirmed in all patients by aortogram prior to aortic repair. ⋯ The site of rupture was resected and replaced with an interposition artificial graft. There was no perioperative mortality and no additional occurrence of paraplegia. Our experience and a review of the literature indicate that for survivors of traumatic aortic rupture, excellent outcomes can be achieved only if the diagnosis is made early and the surgical treatment is prompt.