Simultaneous percutaneous treatment in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease: a case report

Transcatheter septal ablation in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: a technical guide and review of published results

Transcatheter alcohol septal ablation (ASA) treatment of symptomatic patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is based on the existence and degree of intraventricular obstruction. Patients with significant gradient and symptoms who do not respond to optimal medical therapy are eligible to gradient reduction through a surgical (septal myectomy) or a transcatheter (alcohol septal ablation) septal reduction. The latter encompasses occlusion of a septal branch perfusing the hypertrophied septum, which is involved in the generation of obstruction, by injecting ethanol into the supplying septal branch(es). ASA has been established as a highly effective and safe method and has outnumbered the surgical gold standard. Although the technique is straightforward, patient selection and some technical details may influence the efficacy and safety of the procedure. The technique is based on echocardiographic contrast guidance, which allows accurate target septal branch selection and optimisation of the result. Published long-term results from high-volume centres have confirmed the effectiveness of ASA and have shown excellent survival, which is comparable to that in the general population. Choice and performance of the surgical or interventional treatment should be implemented in highly specialised centres in terms of a heart-team approach, taking notice of anatomic characteristics as well as comorbidities. Involvement of all cases in international registries may reveal the individual merits and indications for the surgical and interventional treatment in HOCM.

Twenty Years of Alcohol Septal Ablation in Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy is the most common genetic cardiac disease and is generally characterised by asymmetric septal hypertrophy and intraventricular obstruction. Patients with severe obstruction and significant symptoms that persist despite optimal medical treatment are candidates for an invasive septal reduction therapy. Twenty years after its introduction, percutaneous transluminal alcohol septal ablation has been increasingly preferred for septal reduction in patients with drug refractory hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Myocardial contrast echocardiography and injection of reduced alcohol volumes have increased safety, while efficacy is comparable to the surgical alternative, septal myectomy, which has for decades been regarded as the 'gold standard' treatment. Data on medium- and long-term survival show improved prognosis with survival being similar to the general population. Current guidelines have supported its use by experienced operators in centres specialised in the treatment of patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

Alcohol septal ablation through a bare metal stent after rotative atherectomy: a complex procedure

We report the case of a patient with severe malignant hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) and calcified stenosis of the proximal and middle left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. We elected to treat his ischemic heart disease first. We performed angioplasty of the proximal and middle LAD, after rotative atherectomy, and implanted two bare metal stents. Thirty days later we treated his HOCM by alcohol septal ablation with catheterization of the first septal branch through the mesh of the bare metal stent implanted in the LAD. To our knowledge, this is the first documented report of such a procedure.

A decade of percutaneous septal ablation in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Percutaneous septal ablation has emerged as a less invasive treatment of symptomatic patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). In the past decade, the availability of this sophisticated technique has revived the interest of cardiologists in left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, which led to the recognition that most patients with HCM have the obstructive type. Follow-up studies have already shown the safety and efficacy of the procedure, which offers symptomatic relief in most patients. Long-term survival is comparable to historical reports after surgical myectomy. Complications are rare and can be further reduced with increased experience of the operators, and the theoretical concern for possible ventricular arrhythmogenicity of the myocardial scar has not been documented by the existing data. Although there are still no randomized trials, percutaneous septal ablation is undeniably a viable alternative for patients with HOCM.

Successful coronary stenting of the left anterior descending artery at the branching site of the targeted septal perforator immediately after percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy

We report a case of simultaneous percutaneous treatment of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) and coronary artery disease. Cardiac catheterization revealed a left ventricular outflow tract pressure gradient (LVOTPG) of 130 mmHg and a significant left anterior descending artery (LAD) stenosis at the site of the 1st major septal branch. The LVOTPG was eliminated by injection of ethanol into the branch. Subsequently, a coronary stent was implanted in the LAD. A coil stent was selected due to possibility of repeat septal ablation in the future. Simultaneous treatment of HOCM and LAD stenosis is considered safe and effective using a coil stent.

Usefulness of real-time three-dimensional echocardiography for evaluation of myectomy in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography was performed in 10 patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) before and after myectomy and in 6 controls. The exact location of systolic anterior motion of the mitral leaflet was shown in all patients with HC with a predominant involvement of the medial portion in 4 patients and the middle portion in 6 patients. The smallest area of the left ventricular outflow tract was significantly smaller in patients with HC than in controls (1.4 +/- 0.7 vs 5.1 +/- 1.2 cm(2), p <0.01), significantly increased after myectomy (4.8 +/- 1.8 cm2, p <0.01) and was associated with a reduction of the pressure gradient at rest from 63 +/- 41 to 15 +/- 5 mm Hg (p <0.01).

Current status of alcohol septal ablation for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Since the early 1960s, surgical myotomy-myectomy has been the standard treatment for patients with drug-refractory symptoms due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and dynamic outflow tract obstruction. Comparable morphologic and functional results can be achieved by percutaneous septal ablation (PTSMA) by alcohol-induced septal branch occlusion. The circumscribed therapeutic myocardial infarction results in widening of the left ventricular outflow tract with consecutive gradient reduction. Follow-up studies show clinical and objective improvement as well as further gradient reduction due to left ventricular remodeling. In this article, an updated review of the latest results of PTSMA is provided.