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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
IHSS/HOCM and Dual Chamber Pacemakers
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
IHSS/HOCM and Dual Chamber Pacemakers
by Rich-Quigley, Jan 03, 1999 12:00AM
I was diagnosed with IHSS in 1991 and have been treated with drug therapy
since that time. As seems to be normal I continue to build tolerances to
the drugs and require increasingly larger doses. I currently take 480mg of
Inderal, 240mg of Covera HS(verapamil) and 37mg of Dyazide. As you might
quess, functioning normally at these drug levels is difficult. Recent echos
show LV outflow pressures in the 87mm hg range and my doctor and I are now
discussing a dual chamber pacemaker.
My research indicates that a myectomy and pacemaker are the two
treatments of choice, after drug therapy, with alcohol ablation
being experimental and showing mixed results.
Since I don't have an arrythmia, how does the pacemaker help me?
Doctor's Answer
by CCF CARDIO MD APS, Jan 03, 1999 12:00AM
_
Dear Rich,
The pacemaker as a treatment for IHSS/HOCM is designed to time the contraction
of your heart muscle such that the bulging muscle in your septum doesn't contract
and obstruct outflow until some blood has already been ejected; the design is
structural as you see and NOT 100% successful. Compare this to the excellent
results with a myomectomy done at an institution like the Cleveland Clinic where
the surgeons are very skilled at this procedure and have a lot of experience with the
work-up and actual surgical technique. I think your best bet is to get the opinion
of a cardiologist who will also consider myomectomy, not just a pacemaker. Alcohol ablation
currently is reserved for those who can not undergo myomectomy (a proven, definitive, effective
procedure.)
hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician
can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions.
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire
online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the
cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
