LAUSR

Acute postinfarct ventricular septal defect (VSD) is associated with high mortality due to a combination of cardiogenic shock and a complex repair in recently infarcted fragile myocardium.1 Although the Impella heart pump is established as support for cardiogenic shock, it is relatively contraindicated in postinfarct VSD because of potential right-to-left shunt or stroke due to VSD tissue–related embolus. On autopsy, early repair is technically difficult due to tissue friability and as a result, 38% of surgically repaired patients have evidence of recurrent interventricular septal rupture.2 Delayed surgical repair (>7 days) is associated with superior survival—54% after 7 days versus 18% prior—but hemodynamic instability may prevent delay.3 Case reports have shown successful early left ventricular unloading with Impella patients with acute postinfarct VSD before surgical repair.4,5 We discuss our algorithm for pre-repair Impella support in which we stratify pre-repair support based on the Qp/Qs ratio. For VSD with Qp/Qs >2.5, we use a preoperative Impella heart pump and have not demonstrated reversal in the left-to-right shunt on echocardiography and/or stroke. Our findings are consistent with theoretical models of unloading as demonstrated by shifts in pressure–volume loops.6