Dynamic cardiomyoplasty in South America

Dynamic cardiomyoplasty has been proposed in the treatment of severe cardiomyopathies. However, few reports to date have shown significant numbers of patients collected on a multicenter basis.

From July 1987 to June 1994, dynamic cardiomyoplasty was performed in 112 patients in South America. The indications were dilated cardiomyopathy in 96 patients, Chagas' disease cardiomyopathy in 13, and ischemic cardiomyopathy in 3. Left latissimus dorsi muscle was used in all patients.

The thirty-day mortality rate was 8.1%, and patients were followed up for 22.1 +/- 18.6 months. Data of surviving patients show that 47.3% were in New York Heart Association functional class I, 45.6% in class II, and 7% in class III or IV 1 year after the operation. The 1-year survival was 78.4%; 2-year, 59.7%; and 5-year, 41.7%. The survival at 1 year was 86.1% for patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and 40% for those with Chagas' disease. At 5 years, these values were 49.8% and 9.5%, respectively. Long-term survival was also significantly affected by preoperative functional class and pulmonary vascular resistance. However, patients operated on in class III or intermittent class IV and without elevated pulmonary vascular resistance had survival rates of 91.5% at 1 year and 76.7% at 5 years of follow-up.

Cardiomyoplasty improves the functional status of patients with severe cardiomyopathies. Otherwise, long-term survival after this procedure is limited in patients with Chagas' disease and by patients' condition before the operation.