heart and blood vessel disorders
Complications of an Acute Coronary Syndrome
Myocardial rupture
Rarely, the heart muscle ruptures under the pressure of the heart’s pumping action because the damaged heart muscle is weak. Rupture usually occurs 1 to 10 days after a heart attack and is more common among women. The wall separating the two ventricles (septum), the external heart wall, and the muscles that open and close the mitral valve are particularly susceptible to rupture during or after a heart attack. Rupture of the septum results in too much blood being diverted to the lungs, causing accumulation of fluid (pulmonary edema). A rupture of the septum can sometimes be repaired surgically. Rupture of the external wall almost always causes rapid death. Doctors rarely have time to attempt surgery, and even then, surgery is rarely successful. If the mitral valve muscles rupture, the valve cannot function—the result is sudden and severe Heart Failure (HF) . Doctors can sometimes repair the damage surgically. 