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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Morphological and Functional Assessment of the Right Ventricle Using 3D Echocardiography
Published on: October 28, 2020
Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy causing severe right and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction
Gülümser Heper1, Muzaffer Celiksöz, Sevket Atasoy
1Department of Cardiology, Medicine Faculty of Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu, Turkey. heperg@hotmail.com
Insights
This study details a novel surgical approach for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, successfully treating predominant right ventricular outflow tract obstruction with myectomy and graft patch interpositioning, leading to asymptomatic recovery.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Surgery
Background:
- Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) can present with significant outflow tract obstruction.
- Right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) obstruction is less common but can cause severe symptoms.
Observation:
- An 18-year-old male with exertional dyspnea, dizziness, and angina showed severe biventricular hypertrophy and prominent RVOT muscular bundles.
- High-pressure gradients were measured across the RVOT (141 mmHg) and left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) (66 mmHg), with grade 2 aortic regurgitation.
Findings:
- Medical management with propranolol and cibenzoline failed to alleviate symptoms or reduce pressure gradients.
- Surgical intervention involving extensive RVOT myectomy, minimal LVOT resection, and RVOT graft patch interpositioning eliminated RVOT obstruction and reduced LVOT gradient to 28 mmHg.
Implications:
- This case highlights a successful surgical strategy for HOCM with predominant RVOT obstruction.
- The myectomy and patch graft technique offers a viable treatment option for complex outflow tract obstruction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Abstract:
An 18-year-old male patient presented with a 3-year history of exertional dyspnea, dizziness, and angina. Echocardiography showed advanced hypertrophy of the left ventricle (LV), right ventricle (RV) free wall, and interventricular septum. There were apparent muscular bundles especially at the level of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). Maximal pressure gradients across the RVOT and left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) were 141 mmHg and 66 mmHg, respectively. There was also grade 2 aortic regurgitation. Transesophageal echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging confirmed these findings. Despite treatment with propranolol and cibenzoline, the patient remained symptomatic with unchanged pressure gradients. Corrective surgery including an extensive muscular resection of the RVOT, minimal resection of the LVOT, and interposition of a graft patch in the RVOT resulted in complete disappearance of the RVOT gradient and a significant decrease to 28 mmHg in the LVOT gradient. During a year follow-up, aortic valvular insufficiency remained clinically stable and the patient was asymptomatic. This is the first case of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy with predominant RVOT obstruction treated by myectomy and patch graft interpositioning.
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