Dynamic Cardiomyoplasty. Clinical Follow-Up in Argentina

The aim of the present study is to evaluate results obtained after applying dynamic cardiomyoplasty to patients with dilated cardiornyopathy and severe ventricular dysfunction (Functional Class III-IV, New York Heart Association). A dynamic cardiomyoplasty procedure was performed in 15 patients with a mean age of 59.2 ± 6.4 years old. Despite the medical treatment with inhibitors of the converted enzyme or vasodilators, all of these patients required 2.2 ± 0.7 hospitalizations/patient/year owing to congestive heart failure in the year before dynamic cardiornioplasty was applied. In 8 patients the etiology of the cardiomyopathy was idiopathic, isc hern ic-ne erotic in 6 and Chagas' disease in the other. Hemodynamic studies were done preoperatively in all patients and every six months postop-eratively. Twelve patients had a follow-up for two years. The following values related to two-years evaluation improved significantly in comparison with baseline: functional class (1.7 ± 0.6 versus 3.06 ± 0.2); radiomiclide left ventricular ejection fraction (29.7 ± 5% versus 23.6 ± 3%); fractional shortening (20.6 ± 5% versus 15.6 ± 4%). Walking test values increased from 332 ± 127 meters to 421 ± 102 meters. Left ventricular diastolic diameter remained unchanged (72.7 ± 7 mm versus 72.3 ± 8 mm). Improvement was observed in functional capacity and left ventricle systolic function parameters two years after cardiomyoplasty was applied.