Cardiomyopathy is a condition that causes your heart muscle to become too thin or too thick. At Sentara, we offer the expertise and individualized care needed to diagnose and treat all types of cardiomyopathy. Working with you, our heart experts develop a treatment plan specific to your cardiomyopathy. Your treatment might include medication management, a minimally invasive procedure, a heart device or surgery:
For milder forms of cardiomyopathy, your doctor may prescribe medication to:
- Manage heart arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythm)
- Lower blood pressure
- Improve blood flow to your heart
With this type of monitoring, called watchful waiting, you will undergo regularly scheduled medical imaging tests. If your condition changes enough to require additional treatment, your doctor may recommend a minimally invasive procedure or surgery.
When appropriate, we may recommend minimally invasive treatments. We use the most effective, least invasive procedure possible. Advantages of minimally invasive procedures include:
- Smaller incisions
- Less trauma, blood loss and pain
- Fewer complications
- Shorter hospital stay
- Faster recovery times
To treat cardiomyopathy, your doctor may recommend alcohol septal ablation. During this minimally invasive procedure, your heart doctor threads a catheter (thin, hollow tube) through an artery in your groin. The doctor then injects an alcohol solution into the thickened septal wall that separates your heart's upper chambers. The alcohol solution destroys or shrinks heart muscle cells, thinning out the septal wall to allow your blood to flow more freely.
Pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs)
These devices detect dangerous arrhythmias and send electrical pulses to keep your heart in a healthy rhythm. Sentara heart specialists have extensive experience implanting wired and wireless ICDs and pacemakers. Sentara was one of the first in healthcare systems in Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina to offer Micra®, the world's smallest wire-free pacemaker.
If you develop heart failure due to cardiomyopathy, a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) can help your weakened heart pump blood. During open-heart surgery, your doctor implants this mechanical pump in the bottom left chamber (ventricle) of your heart. From the left ventricle, the LVAD helps to pump blood to the aorta and then to the rest of the body.
Another open-heart surgery treatment your doctor might consider is septal myectomy. During this open-heart surgery, your surgeon removes part of the septal wall that has thickened due to cardiomyopathy. The septal wall separates your heart's upper chambers. Removing this thickened section helps improve blood flow.
After a heart procedure, our team of cardiac rehab specialists creates a personalized plan that supports you in meeting your health needs and goals. Your plan may include:
- Guided physical activity
- Smoking cessation
- Stress management
We also offer Ornish Lifestyle Medicine, a 12-week cardiac rehab program, with tips on eating well, exercising and reducing stress.
Call 1-800-SENTARA (1-800-736-8272) to learn more.