Surgical revascularization in acute myocardial infarction

: Surgical treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), while pathogenetically impeccable, has severe limitations in the time factor. Outside of clinical-experimental situations in some pilot-centers, operation for AMI are performed in case of accidents post-PTCA, in patients already hospitalized in cardiology or cardiac-surgery wards, or in case of post-infarction complications. The results in 10 cases of emergency revascularization for AMI after PTCA (2 deaths), 36 cases of AMI treated in hospitalized patients (4 deaths), and 24 septal ruptures (12 deaths) are reported. AMI can be favourably treated surgically, with the aid of modern cardioplegic and reperfusion techniques, if the operation is performed early, and complete revascularization is achieved.