Does cardiomyopathy require surgery?

Written by Liu Yong
Cardiology
Updated on September 17, 2024
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Firstly, whether myocardial disease requires surgery, we need to clarify the type of myocardial disease and the stage of myocardial disease, that is, the stage of heart function that has been affected.

There are many types of myocardial diseases, including dilated cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and restrictive cardiomyopathy, for instance. The treatment plans for different types of myocardial diseases are not exactly the same. For example, dilated cardiomyopathy is generally treated with medication, and only in the very late stages of dilated cardiomyopathy, or what is known as stage IV heart function, when conventional medication is ineffective, heart transplantation might be considered if a donor is available and conditions allow. However, currently, heart donors are extremely rare, making this option quite difficult to achieve. The latest advances in clinical research have introduced artificial mechanical hearts available for transplantation, but the costs of surgery are very high, and the technology is not very mature yet. Therefore, the chances and opportunities for surgery are not very great and must be decided based on the situation.

For other conditions, such as ischemic cardiomyopathy, if it is clearly caused by severe ischemia, we might consider addressing the factors causing myocardial ischemia, such as performing a coronary angiography. If there is severe coronary artery stenosis, we might consider implementing a coronary artery stent or coronary artery bypass grafting to alleviate the ischemic factors. In cases like restrictive cardiomyopathy, if there are severe restrictive factors contributing to the disease, surgical treatment might also be pursued.

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Written by Liu Yong
Cardiology
48sec home-news-image

Dilated cardiomyopathy clinical manifestations

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a type of heart disease characterized clinically by a significant enlargement of the heart, a marked reduction in ejection fraction, and a significant decline in heart function. Common clinical manifestations of this disease often present as heart failure symptoms, including chest tightness and shortness of breath after activity, nocturnal paroxysmal breathing difficulties, inability to lie flat, as well as swelling of the lower limbs and abdominal wall, and even conditions such as pleural effusion and ascites. Additionally, it may be associated with various types of arrhythmias, such as premature beats and tachycardia, especially ventricular tachycardia, which are all manifestations of dilated cardiomyopathy.

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Written by Tang Li
Cardiology
1min 15sec home-news-image

Treatment of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, due to unknown causes and often related to genetic factors, is difficult to prevent. It is important to guide patients on how to lead their lives, reminding them to avoid intense physical activities, heavy lifting, or breath-holding to reduce the incidence of sudden death. Avoid using drugs that enhance myocardial contractility and reduce cardiac capacity load, such as digoxin and nitrates, to decrease the aggravation of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. The treatment principle for this disease is to slow down the hypertrophy of the myocardium, prevent tachycardia, and maintain normal sinus rhythm. It also aims to relieve the narrowing of the left ventricular outflow tract and counteract arrhythmias. Currently, the use of beta blockers and calcium channel blockers is advocated. For severe obstructive patients, interventional and surgical treatments can be carried out, including the implantation of a dual-chamber DTD pacemaker, and the ablation or removal of hypertrophied interventricular septum myocardium.

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Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
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Do you need to take medication for a long time for dilated cardiomyopathy?

Patients with dilated cardiomyopathy need long-term or even lifelong medication because dilated cardiomyopathy is an incurable disease that requires medication to properly control the onset of heart failure symptoms. The symptoms of heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy can easily recur, leading to repeated hospitalizations, often related to the patient's irregular medication use or arbitrary discontinuation of medication. Therefore, patients with dilated cardiomyopathy must take medication under a doctor's guidance for long periods, such as using diuretics and medication like sustained-release metoprolol, etc. At the same time, it is important to maintain good living habits, a low-salt diet, a good emotional state, and conduct moderate exercise under stable conditions.

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Written by Liu Yong
Cardiology
1min 53sec home-news-image

Does cardiomyopathy require surgery?

Firstly, whether myocardial disease requires surgery, we need to clarify the type of myocardial disease and the stage of myocardial disease, that is, the stage of heart function that has been affected. There are many types of myocardial diseases, including dilated cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and restrictive cardiomyopathy, for instance. The treatment plans for different types of myocardial diseases are not exactly the same. For example, dilated cardiomyopathy is generally treated with medication, and only in the very late stages of dilated cardiomyopathy, or what is known as stage IV heart function, when conventional medication is ineffective, heart transplantation might be considered if a donor is available and conditions allow. However, currently, heart donors are extremely rare, making this option quite difficult to achieve. The latest advances in clinical research have introduced artificial mechanical hearts available for transplantation, but the costs of surgery are very high, and the technology is not very mature yet. Therefore, the chances and opportunities for surgery are not very great and must be decided based on the situation. For other conditions, such as ischemic cardiomyopathy, if it is clearly caused by severe ischemia, we might consider addressing the factors causing myocardial ischemia, such as performing a coronary angiography. If there is severe coronary artery stenosis, we might consider implementing a coronary artery stent or coronary artery bypass grafting to alleviate the ischemic factors. In cases like restrictive cardiomyopathy, if there are severe restrictive factors contributing to the disease, surgical treatment might also be pursued.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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Is cardiomyopathy life-threatening?

Whether cardiomyopathy poses a threat to life depends on the severity of the condition. Mild myocardial damage, if detected early, diagnosed early, and treated with effective medications in a timely manner, generally has a good prognosis, poses no threat to life, and leaves no sequelae. Severe myocardial damage, due to lack of timely treatment, can lead to serious complications such as heart failure, arrhythmias, and cardiogenic shock, which can endanger life safety. Therefore, early diagnosis, early treatment, and prevention of complications are crucial treatment measures for cardiomyopathy.