OBJECTIVETo compare the safety and efficacy of transcoronary ablation of septal hypertrophy (TASH) versus dual-chamber cardiac pacing (PM) for the treatment of aged > 60 years old) patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM).

METHODSMedically uncontrolled symptomatic aged patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM, n = 23) were treated by transcoronary ablation of septal hypertrophy (TASH, n = 15) or dual-chamber cardiac pacing (PM, n = 8) and followed up for 24 months. Two patients needed permanent pacemaker after TASH were excluded from the analysis.

RESULTSNYHA class improved from 3.2 +/- 0.7 to 1.5 +/- 0.5 and from 3.0 +/- 0.1 to 1.9 +/- 0.6 and general symptomatic score decreased from 5.9 +/- 1.6 to 1.8 +/- 0.7 and from 4.5 +/- 1.3 to 2.3 +/- 1.6 post TASH or PM treatments, respectively (all P < 0.01 vs. baseline). The decrease of left ventricular outflow pressure gradient (PG) was (80.0 +/- 35.5) mm Hg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) and (49.3 +/- 37.7) mmHg post TASH and PM treatments respectively (all P < 0.05 vs. baseline) and the PG decrease was more significant in TASH group compared to PM group (P < 0.01). Interventricular septal thickness was significantly reduced post TASH [(22 +/- 4) mm vs. (17 +/- 3) mm, P < 0.05] and remained unchanged in PM group. Three patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (2 patients in TASH group and 1 in PM group) developed chronic atrial fibrillation during the follow-up.

CONCLUSIONSBoth therapeutic approaches-TASH and PM implantation, significantly reduced PG and significantly improved NYHA class and general symptomatic score in aged symptomatic patients with HOCM. TASH was superior to PM in terms of PG decrease and general symptomatic score improvement.