Prolonged Support with Intraaortic Balloon for Postinfarction Ventricular Septal Rupture

The optimal timing of repair in postinfarct interventricular septal rupture remains controversial. We report a 53-year-old man with a postinfarct ventricular septal defect sustained on intraaortic balloon pump for 20 days before successful surgical closure. In the presence of proponents of routine early closure of postinfarct ventricular septal defects the possibility of prolonged intraaortic balloon pump support to stabilize the patient must be kept in mind.