Abstract
A patient with a small aortic annulus had an apico-aortic conduit implanted for aortic stenosis approximately three years before being admitted to our institution. Four months after sustaining a steering wheel injury to the chest, he developed chest pain and palpitations. X-ray films and left ventriculograms revealed a large apical aneurysm of unknown duration. At surgery, it was noted that the proximal portion of the conduit had been sewn directly to the myocardium without the use of a rigid or soft apical outlet prosthesis incorporating a sewing ring. The aneurysm was resected along with a small proximal segment of the conduit graft. A polished Pyrolite® rigid inlet tube with a sewing ring and graft extension was inserted into the residual left ventricular apex, and continuity was reestablished with the abdominal segment of the conduit. It is postulated that the aneurysm was caused by either the direct anastomosis of the fabric graft to the apical myocardium at the original operation (with subsequent disruption and aneurysm formation prior to the steering wheel injury), or was the result of fixation of the heart at the diaphragm by the conduit, with increased vulnerability to deceleration injury at the direct left ventricular apex myocardium-fabric graft site.
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Selected References
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