New surgical treatments for heart failure

Medical therapy for heart failure is quickly advancing, but long-term survival unfortunately remains poor. New surgical techniques seek to halt and reverse the progression of heart failure. Positron emission tomography has refined patient selection techniques for coronary artery bypass grafting in the failing heart. Left ventricular (LV) remodeling surgery and new devices change the shape of the LV and decrease LV wall stress. Passive restraint devices improve systolic function by preventing ventricular dilatation. LV assist devices have proven to be effective and provide a significantly higher 1-year survival rate when compared with maximal medical therapy. New ideas and devices are defining a new role for surgical treatment of the aging population of the United States and may provide the answer to long-term management of heart failure. © 2002 by Current Science Inc.