Ventricular septal rupture presented with chronic heart failure symptoms: a case report

Background Ventricular septal rupture (VSR) is a rare mechanical complication following acute myocardial infarction, with very high mortality rate. Haemodynamic deterioration and cardiogenic shock is common in such cases. Rarely, however, patients may show only signs of chronic heart failure or be completely asymptomatic. Case summary We report a case of a 72-year-old male patient with VSR following a transmural myocardial infarction. He sought medical attention only after gradually experiencing symptoms of chronic heart failure, weeks after the onset of the myocardial infarction. The patient successfully underwent elective repair surgery, after optimizing the medical therapy and completing the necessary workup. Discussion Ventricular septal rupture repair is necessary in all cases due to the high mortality rate if left untreated. The timing of the operation, however, should be decided individually for every patient. Haemodynamically unstable patients may require early surgery, but in stable patients responding to medical treatment, delayed repair may be the best option.