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Alcohol septal ablation, a relatively new procedure, is performed to alleviate symptoms in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). In this observational series from the Mayo Clinic, investigators report their experience with this procedure in 138 patients.
Median patient age was 64 (range, 26–86). All had either a resting LV outflow gradient of ≥30 mm Hg (77%) or a provocable gradient of ≥50 mm Hg. The reason cited most often for the decision to perform alcohol ablation instead of surgery was patient choice. The procedure was successful (residual gradient, <20 mm Hg) in 83% of patients. Complications included cardiac tamponade requiring surgery (2 patients), new requirement for pacemaker implantation (28 patients), and …