Ventricular Reconstructive Surgery
Congestive heart failure affects five million Americans a year. Advanced coronary artery disease is the leading cause of heart failure in the United States. It was formerly thought that patients with heart failure were not candidates for conventional surgery and would only benefit from cardiac (heart) transplantation. We now know that many patients with heart failure do not require a heart transplant and will benefit from coronary bypass, valve repair or other reconstructive procedures.
A subset of patients with heart failure caused by a ventricular (lower pumping chamber of the heart) aneurysm may benefit from ventricular reconstruction surgery. An aneurysm results when a full thickness myocardial infarction (heart attack) heals as a thin walled scar. This scar causes heart failure by expanding when the heart contracts, thus robbing the body of much of the output of the heart. The goal of ventricular reconstructive surgery is to improve overall heart function by excluding the aneurysm from the heart’s main pumping chamber.
The Center for Heart Failure offers ventricular reconstructive surgery to patients who have been evaluated and determined to be candidates for this procedure. Under the direction of esteemed cardiac surgeon, Patrick McCarthy, MD, patients are cared for by a team of specialists including surgeons, cardiologists, advance practice nurses, physical therapists, cardiac rehabilitation specialists, dietitians, psychologists and social workers. This multidisciplinary team approach distinguishes our Center for Heart Failure as a "center of excellence" in the surgical management of heart failure. Our team is committed to identifying the most appropriate therapy for each individual patient, given each patient's disease and unique needs within the context of his or her family.
Contact
For more information regarding hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and the treatments available through the Center for Heart Failure, call the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at (866) 662-8467, or request an appointment online.
