Biventricular Reverse Remodeling After Successful Alcohol Septal Ablation for Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

The aim of the present study was to investigate the long-term effects of alcohol septal ablation (ASA) on left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) remodeling in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). CMR was performed at baseline and 16 months after ASA in 38 patients with obstructive HC (mean age 48 ± 9 years) despite optimal medical treatment. ASA resulted in significant reductions of LV outflow tract gradient (mean 89 ± 22 vs 24 ± 12 mm Hg, p <0.001) and improvements in New York Heart Association functional class (p <0.001) during the follow-up period. LV remote mass and septal mass decreased from 98.34 ± 37.02 to 84.23 ± 34.71 g and from 77.56 ± 16.40 to 68.43 ± 14.02 g, respectively (p <0.001 for both) at 16-month follow-up. There were significant reductions of RV mass (mean 53.69 ± 7.12 vs 47.49 ± 6.17 g, p <0.001) and improvements in RV end-diastolic volume (mean 110.58 ± 22.47 vs 124.22 ± 24.17 ml, p <0.001) and the RV ejection fraction (p <0.001) during 16-month follow-up. Linear regression analysis showed that LV outflow tract gradient reduction was correlated significantly with LV remote mass reduction (r = 0.475, p = 0.003) and RV mass reduction (r = 0.535, p = 0.001) at 16-month follow-up. In conclusion, successful ASA can lead to positive biventricular reverse remodeling, showing significant reductions of RV and LV mass as well as increased RV and LV end-diastolic volumes during follow-up.