Bangalore's Manipal Heart Foundation (MHF) after completing over 4,000 coronary bypass surgeries went on to successfully treat a case of left ventricle rupture following a heart attack. A first of its kind effort by MHF, doctors at the hospital said that for patients with ruptured heart death is almost certain, if he was not operated immediately.

The success rate of the complicated surgery following a ruptured heart was as low as 39 percent, said Dr. RC Srivyas the head cardiac surgery, MHF.

There are various complications that can develop following an acute heart attack leading to loss of life, like severe heart failure, rhythm problems and heart rupture.

Even if an immediate operation is performed on a ruptured heart, 60 percent of the patients die in the operation theatre or in the post operative ward. It is very rare for a patient with a ruptured heart to reach a hospital alive. The condition of ruptured heart is seen in one out of 5,000 cases of heart attacks.

Referring to the successful effort at MHF, Dr. Srivyas said that the patient operated upon with a ruptured heart had a tear in the back wall of the heart (Aneurysm) with at least one litre of blood leaked outside the heart and compressing it. "We had to do an urgent release of compression on the heart and close the hole in the heart with a patch graft. In addition to that we performed a coronary bypass surgery on him. The most difficult part of the operation was to stitch the heart close to the rupture as the heart valve is as soft as butter and difficult to suture it," he explained.

The cost of the operation was Rs. 94,000 informed sources from MHF.