The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Apr 1981
Case ReportsBlunt traumatic rupture of the heart. Successful repair of simultaneous rupture of the right atrium and left ventricle.
A case is reported of a 48-year-old man who sustained simultaneous rupture of the right atrium and left ventricle following blunt trauma in a motor vehicle accident. Rupture of one or more cardiac chambers in blunt cardiac trauma is not uncommon. However, survival to reach the hospital is rare. ⋯ Prompt exploration is essential, as few patients survive longer than 60 minutes after injury. Ready availability of cardiopulmonary bypass is emphasized. Atrial rupture can be managed without bypass, but left ventricular rupture, as in this case, would seem impossible to repair without it.
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We evaluated 643 patients surviving aortic, mitral, and aortic and mitral ("double") valve replacement with the Björk-Shiley prosthesis from 1 to 72 months (median 38 months) postoperatively. Intermediate-term survival rate was similar to that reported for other prosthetic and bioprosthetic devices. Factors unrelated to the device, but related to preoperative patient characteristics or intraoperative or early postoperative events, had important association with late survival rate. ⋯ Improvement in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class occurred in the majority of patients. We conclude that the Björk-Shiley valve is durable and effective, but, as with other devices, is associated with problems of thromboembolism and thrombosis. Intermediate-term survival is related also to non-device, patient-associated characteristics.