An implantable cardiac defibrillator may be recommended in those with certain types of irregular heartbeat. Surgery, in the form of a septal myectomy or heart transplant, may be done in those who do not improve with other measures. With treatment, the risk of death from the disease is less than one percent per year.HCM affects about one in 500 people. Rates in men and women are about equal. People of all ages may be affected. The first modern description of the disease was by Donald Teare in 1958. Signs and symptoms
The cause of HCM is variable. Many people are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, and many of those carrying disease genes for HCM do not have clinically detectable disease. The symptoms of HCM include shortness of breath due to stiffening and decreased blood filling of the ventricles, exertional chest pain (sometimes known as angina) due to reduced blood flow to the coronary arteries, uncomfortable awareness of the heart beat (palpitations), as well as disruption of the electrical system running through the abnormal heart muscle, lightheadedness, weakness, fainting and sudden cardiac death.Shortness of breath is largely due to increased stiffness of the left ventricle (LV), which impairs filling of the ventricles, but also leads to elevated pressure in the left ventricle and left atrium, causing back pressure and interstitial congestion in the lungs. Symptoms are not closely related to the presence or severity of an outflow tract gradient. Often, symptoms mimic those of congestive heart failure (esp. activity intolerance and dyspnea), but treatment of each is different.
Technological advancements have also led to the development of a dual-chamber pacemaker, which is only turned on when needed (in contrast to a regular pacemaker which provides a constant stimulus). Although the dual-chamber pacemaker has shown to decrease ventricular outflow tract obstruction, experimental trials have found only a few individuals with improved symptoms. Researchers suspect that these reports of improved symptoms are due to a placebo effect.The procedure includes an incision on the anterolateral area below the clavicle. Two leads are then inserted; one into the right atrium and the other into the right ventricular apex via the subclavian veins. Once in place, they are secured and attached to the generator which will remain inside the fascia, anterior to the pectoral muscle. Complications of this procedure include infection, electrical lead and generator malfunction which will require replacement.For people with HCM who exhibit one or more of the major risk factors for sudden cardiac death, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or a combination pacemaker/ICD all-in-one unit may be recommended as an appropriate precaution. In 2014, European Society of Cardiology suggested a practical risk score to calculate that risk. Cardiac transplantation
In cases that are unresponsive to all other forms of treatment, cardiac transplantation is one option. It is also the only treatment available for end-stage heart failure. However, transplantation must occur before the onset of symptoms such as pulmonary vessel hypertension, kidney malfunction, and thromboembolism in order for it to be successful. Studies have indicated a seven-year survival rate of 94% in people with HCM after transplantation.