The goal of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) treatment is to relieve symptoms of the condition and, in rare cases, to prevent sudden cardiac death.
The Chanin T. Mast Center for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy offers several different treatment options such as medication, surgery or specialized procedures for HCM and its symptoms.
Treating HCM with Medication
Medication is usually the first option of treatment for people with HCM. In order to manage symptoms and improve cardiac functioning, physicians may prescribe common heart medications such as beta blockers, disopyramide, calcium channel blockers, heart rhythm medications, and anticoagulants.
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Camzyos™ (mavacamten) for the treatment of adults with some forms of symptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This is the only FDA-approved medication that targets the underlying cause of obstructive HCM. The Chanin T. Mast Center for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy at Atlantic Health System is the first facility in New Jersey to prescribe mavacamten for HCM.*
HCM Treatment Procedures
Implantable Defibrillators
To prevent sudden cardiac death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an implantable defibrillator may be necessary. Defibrillators have eliminated the vast majority of sudden death events in HCM.
To identify those patients who will likely benefit from an implantable defibrillator, all HCM patients undergo risk stratification assessment, to determine which would be ideal candidates for the procedure.
If you are found to be high risk, we will discuss with you implanting a cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), designed to identify and terminate these arrhythmias, thus preventing sudden cardiac death events.
Only a very small proportion of patients with HCM are at increased risk for sudden cardiac death.
Surgical Treatment Options for HCM
- Open heart surgery
- - may be recommended if medications do not improve your symptoms. It involves removing part of the thickened, overgrown wall (septum) between the heart chambers. Septal myectomy helps improve blood flow out of the heart and reduces backward flow of blood through the mitral valve (mitral regurgitation). The surgery may be done using different approaches, depending on the location of the thickened heart muscle. Sometimes the mitral valve is repaired at the same time and on occasion the mitral valve may be replaced.
- Septal ablation
- - this procedure reduces the thickened heart muscle with injection of alcohol. The alcohol is injected through a long, thin tube (catheter) into the artery supplying blood to the area of thickness. Possible complications include disruption of the heart's electrical system (heart block), which requires implantation of a pacemaker.
* Your doctor can discuss whether mavacamten is right for you and any potential side effects associated with its use.
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