Details.
A minimally invasive, percutaneous procedure for a select group of patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and refractory or persistent symptoms. It involves slowly injecting 98 percent alcohol through a catheter into an artery supplying the overgrown tissue in the enlarged septum. Patients are monitored in the ICU for two days, typically with a temporary pacemaker, and may require a permanent pacemaker if persistent heart block occurs. Patients generally go home with minimal physical activity restrictions for two to four weeks, with follow-up echocardiograms performed three to six months after the procedure.