[New surgical strategies for severe heart failure]

Alternative surgical procedures to heart transplantation for patients with severe congestive heart failure are developing in the past decade. Left ventricular restoration such as partial left ventriculectomy, endo-ventricular circular patch plasty, or septal anterior ventricular exclusion is effective for patients with operative indication and functional mitral regurgitation due to dilated heart can be repaired effectively in some patients. It is important to understand the surgical procedures and the indications for not only cardiac surgeons but also cardiologists, and combination of surgical and medical treatment can be an alternative to heart transplantation for properly selected patients.