The heart is made up of four chambers, the two upper chambers are called the atria and the two lower chambers are the ventricles. A ventricular aneurysm occurs when one of the ventricles has a weakening and is expanded and bulged like a balloon. This is a serious complication that can occur after a heart attack.
Symptoms can include shortness of breath, chest pain, or heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias). If left untreated, ventricular aneurysms can lead to heart failure or dangerous blood clots. To repair a ventricular aneurysm, cardiac surgeons open the chest, remove the weakened area of the ventricle wall, and sew the walls of the ventricle back together. Aneurysm repair is often followed by medication therapy. This procedure is important because it eliminates the aneurysm and reduces the potential for heart failure and blood clots.