Background: The importance of risk stratification for sudden cardiac death (SCD) after septal myectomy for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) has not been emphasized previously.
Methods and results: We report 2 patients with SCD or ventricular tachycardia (VT) after septal myectomy for HOCM in whom risk factors for SCD were identified following surgical myectomy. One received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), which subsequently provided appropriate discharges for VT. The other delayed ICD implantation and suffered SCD.
Conclusion: These cases emphasize the importance of risk stratification for SCD after septal myectomy for HOCM.
Keywords: Cardioverter-defibrillator; HOCM; Heart disease; Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; Myectomy; Risk factors; Septal reduction therapy.