New treatment methods for patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

The past decade has witnessed significant advancements in the treatment of patients with refractory symptoms due to hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. In this publication, we will review the impact of dual-chamber pacing and nonsurgical septal reduction therapy with ethanol on the outcome of these patients. Both therapies have been shown to result in significant reductions in the left ventricular outflow gradient, which was an entry criterion in all the reported studies, along with symptomatic relief from symptoms of angina and dyspnea on midterm follow-up. Studies currently are under way to compare dual-chamber pacing and nonsurgical septal reduction therapy with myotomy-myomectomy, which is considered to be the standard of care in these patients.