Dr. Nguyen Xuan Duy, from the Cardiology Department at Tam Anh General Hospital, TP HCM, reported that the patient's heart muscle had severe obstructive left ventricular outflow tract hypertrophy. The systolic pressure gradient, the top number, reached 119 mmHg. This extremely high gradient forced the heart to work excessively for an extended period, leading to fatigue, chest pain during exertion, and a significant reduction in physical activity capacity. The patient also suffered from hypertension and dyslipidemia.

Dr. Duy emphasized that if prolonged obstruction is not intervened, patients may develop progressive heart failure or dangerous arrhythmias. While obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is primarily managed with medical therapy, Mrs. Huong continued to experience fatigue and chest pain despite medication. Consequently, doctors recommended alcohol septal ablation to reduce the obstruction.

The team performs alcohol septal ablation to treat obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy for the patient. Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital

During the procedure, doctors inject a small amount of absolute alcohol through a catheter into a blood vessel to cause vascular occlusion. This process leads to necrosis, fibrosis, and thinning of the heart muscle over time.

Following the intervention, Mrs. Huong's obstruction significantly decreased. She no longer experienced chest pain, recovered quickly, and was discharged after 4 days of monitoring. She must adhere to her medical treatment plan and attend regular follow-up appointments.

According to Dr. Duy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is primarily linked to genetic factors, causing abnormal thickening of the heart muscle even in individuals with no prior cardiovascular disease. In some cases, the cause remains unknown. Individuals experiencing persistent fatigue, chest pain during exertion, or heart palpitations, especially from middle age onwards, should seek medical examination.

Ly Nguyen

*Patient's name has been changed