title: Long-term outcomes in high-risk symptomatic patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy undergoing alcohol septal ablation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to assess outcomes of alcohol septal ablation (ASA) in high-risk patients.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Because surgical myectomy is the preferred treatment in patients with symptomatic hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) at our institution, we perform ASA in patients who are at high risk for surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 55 symptomatic HOCM patients (mean age 63 +/- 13 years, 67% women, mean follow-up 8 +/- 1 years), at high risk for surgery (as the result of age/comorbidities) who had ASA between 1997 and 2000. The following were recorded at baseline, 3 months, and 1 year: septal thickness, maximal (resting or provocable) left ventricular outflow tract gradient, Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire score, and the presence of a permanent pacemaker. All-cause mortality was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No patients died at 48 h, 2 died at 1 year, 7 died at 5 years, and 13 died at 10 years. Only age >65 years at time of ASA predicted long-term mortality (log-rank p = 0.03). Mean maximal left ventricular outflow tract gradient (104 +/- 35 mm Hg vs. 49 +/- 28 mm Hg), septal thickness (2.4 +/- 0.4 cm vs. 1.8 +/- 0.6 cm), and Minnesota living with heart failure score (63 vs. 25) improved at 3 months, compared with baseline (all p < 0.001), with no significant changes at 1 year. New permanent pacemaker was present in 26% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In symptomatic HOCM patients who are at high risk for surgery, ASA is associated with symptomatic improvement and low short-term mortality; with long-term mortality only associated with older age at time of procedure. In symptomatic HOCM patients at high-risk for surgery, ASA is a viable option.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Deborah H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Samir R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kapadia
authors.forename: E Murat
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Tuzcu
authors.forename: Carmel M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Halley
authors.forename: Eiran Z
authors.initials: EZ
authors.lastname: Gorodeski
authors.forename: Ronan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Curtin
authors.forename: Maran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thamilarasan
authors.forename: Nicholas G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Smedira
authors.forename: Bruce W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Lytle
authors.forename: Harry M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Lever
authors.forename: Milind Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Desai
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D000431:Ethanol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol