Wednesday, March 3, 2021

ALCOHOL SEPTAL ABLATION

 WHAT IS ALCOHOL SEPTAL ABLATION?

Alcohol septal ablation is a percutaneous, minimally invasive procedure performed by an interventional cardiologist to relieve symptoms and improve functional status in eligible patients with severely symptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who meet strict clinical, anatomic and physiologic selection criteria.

How does alcohol septal ablation help hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients?

Alcohol septal ablation can modify one of the symptomatic patient's critical features with HCM, namely obstruction to blood flow across the outflow tract from the abnormally thickened septum. By eliminating obstruction, symptoms of dizziness, dyspnea, and angina resolve over the ensuing 3-6 months, along with regression of hypertrophy. While both heart surgery (surgical myectomy) and alcohol septal ablation can do this, alcohol septal ablation offers a lower risk percutaneous option for older patients and those with comorbidities, and patients of all ages who have suitable anatomy.

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