Long term results of septal myectomy in the treatment of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVE This study analyzed the clinical and echocardiographic late outcomes of surgical septal myectomy in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (OHCM). METHODS We examined, retrospectively, 34 consecutive adult patients (age 55.7±15.2 years) with OHCM operated on in our institution from 1988 to 2008. Only four (11.8%) patients had family history of OHCM. Nine (26.5%) patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) funcional class IV. Thirty (88.2%) patients had solely OHCM, and four (11.8%) had OHCM associated with coronary insufficiency. The surgical technique used in all patients was septal myectomy performed through an aortotomy. RESULTS In 26 (76.5%) patients the mitral insufficiency due to systolic anterior motion, decreased after the myectomy. Eight (23.5%) patients had mitral valve procedures. There was one hospitalar death (2.9%). Two (5.9%) patients required permanent pacemaker for complete heart block after the myectomy. The mean peak preoperative left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction gradient was 84.9±29.0 mmHg, and decreased to 27.8±12.9 mmHg in the early postoperative and it was 19.2±11.2 mmHg in the late postoperative period (49.0±33.0 months). The NYHA functional class improved from 3.1±0.8 to 1.4±0.5 in the postoperative period. Survival free from death was 87.9% and survival free from cardiovascular events was 77.7% with mean follow-up 9.6±8.4 years. CONCLUSION Surgical septal myectomy can be performed safely, with excellent survival, improvement from symptoms and relief for LVOT obstruction in patients with OHCM. The early benefits were remained at long term.