Risk stratification for sudden cardiac death after septal myectomy
Richard D Rothman1, Muhamad A Safiia1, Patricia A Lowry1
1Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Cardiac Surgical Division, Department of Surgery, and Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Background:
The importance of risk stratification for sudden cardiac death (SCD) after septal myectomy for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) has not been emphasized previously.
Methods And Results:
We report 2 patients with SCD or ventricular tachycardia (VT) after septal myectomy for HOCM in whom risk factors for SCD were identified following surgical myectomy. One received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), which subsequently provided appropriate discharges for VT. The other delayed ICD implantation and suffered SCD.
Conclusion:
These cases emphasize the importance of risk stratification for SCD after septal myectomy for HOCM.
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