Multiple myectomies?

[Lisa Salberg]

Re: Multiple myectomies?

Myectomy and other forms of septal reduction are done soley to eliminate gradient. Symptoms come from many things not just gradient. It sounds like a trip to a specialist may help her.

Lisa

[Sarah]

Re: Multiple myectomies?

Dear Pegge,

Since your sil is in NY, you should call Lisa and get the name and number of the HCM specialist there.

We can't diagnose her situation from here, but I can tell you that in rare cases the hypertrophy grows back and this may be what happened, but her symptoms could be due to other things as well.

Both a myectomy and an ablation do the same thing: they trim the piece of heart wall that is blocking the mitral valve from opening and closing correctly. If this hasn't grown back, then there is nothing to cut out or ablate (they are just two different ways of making the muscle go away).

If the doctor is looking at her echo and saying that there isn't any piece of septum blocking (called an obstruction) the mitral valve, then your sil is not a candidate for either procedure. However, they way you are phrasing what he said makes me wonder if that is the case.

I hope things get sorted out; I would make sure she gets a second opinion.

take care,

Sarah

[labarrm]

Hello all-This is my first communication to the site.My sister-in-law had myectomy here in Albany, NY one year ago.She was just told that all gradient readings are back to what they were pre-op.She already had a defib-pacer, but is feeling lousey-short of breath and dizzy.Her cardiologist told her that myectomy can only be done once, and that she would not be able to have alcohol ablation.Is this true?She will see her surgeon next week- but was wondering if anyone can speak to this.Thanks.Pegge