Septal anterior ventricular exclusion operation (Pacopexy) for ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy: treat form not disease.

OBJECTIVE Restoration of left ventricle size and shape is an effective surgical procedure in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. This report defines early and intermediate results following the reshaping of the left ventricle from spherical to ellipsoid configuration in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, employing a technique for LV restoration (LVR) that uses form rather than disease as the endpoint for oblique patch placement. METHODS Between 1998 and 2004, a cohort of 83 patients with dilated ischemic cardiomyopathy underwent an operation to reshape the left ventricle. In 54 patients the Dor procedure was done, and 29 underwent the septal anterior ventricular exclusion (SAVE) procedure to emphasize the elliptical shape, whereby patch placement followed an oblique trajectory between the LV apex and septum below the aortic valve. Ventricular form, rather than the disease scar marked the suture placement site endpoint to create an ellipse. The mean age was 58+/-27, but SAVE patients had larger end systolic volume index (135+/-38 vs 95+/-25). Overall preoperative NYHA functional class III was in 69% and IV in 31 patients, but more SAVE patients were in class IV (38% vs 28%). The procedures were elective in 72 and emergent in 11, with similar entry criteria for each procedure. RESULTS In combination with LVR operation, mitral surgery was performed in 49/83 and tricuspid annuloplasty in 23/83 patients, but these procedures were more common after SAVE (59% vs 44% and 45% vs 19%, respectively), because of larger LV volumes in SAVE patients; 2.8+/-1.3 coronary artery bypass grafts were used. Perioperative use of IABP or LVAD was 15 and 1, respectively in 83 patients. Hospital death was in 1/11 or 9% after emergent operations and 3/72 or 4% in elective procedures, with no difference between groups. After discharge from the hospital, NYHA class improved to class I or II in 57 patients, class III/IV in 14 patients, with 10 late deaths. The 5-year survival rate after the elective operation was 80.3% in SAVE and with elective operation and 77.4% in the Dor procedure. CONCLUSION The SAVE or Pacopexy technique is easy to reshape the dilated left ventricle from spherical to ellipsoid form after the LVR, and the resultant improved configuration may contribute to the overall results for patients with ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.