myectomy
Pronunciation: my-ECK-to-mee
Surgical removal of hypertrophied muscle tissue, typically from the interventricular septum in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Full Definition
Myectomy refers to the surgical excision of hypertrophied myocardial tissue, most commonly performed as a septal myectomy for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). The Morrow procedure involves removing a portion of the hypertrophied interventricular septum through the aortic valve to relieve left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. This procedure widens the outflow tract, reduces the pressure gradient, and alleviates symptoms like dyspnea and chest pain. Extended myectomy techniques may include mitral valve repair or papillary muscle modification. The procedure requires precise surgical technique to avoid complications such as ventricular septal defect or complete heart block while achieving adequate gradient reduction.
In Context
- "Extended septal myectomy reduced the gradient from 85 to 15 mmHg." — Operative report
- "The myectomy specimen showed typical disorganized myocardial fibers." — Pathology report