Type of Surgery
Information

Last updated: 11/24/2009
If myocardial resection is being performed to prevent arrhythmia generation, new techniques allow for minimally invasive procedures to be performed, including radiofrequency ablation performed in an electrophysiology laboratory with mild sedation,...
instead of general anesthetic.
If ventricular restoration is contraindicated, medical treatment will be continued. Mechanical circulatory assist with a ventricular assist device may be a suitable option. Heart transplant and total artificial heart should also be explored as alternative therapies.
Advertisement
In addition to showing how a myocardial infarction (heart attack) occurs, this narrated animation also shows how atherosclerosis is caused and how it can affect the coronary arteries.
Search
Other Information
Myocardial resection is a surgical procedure in which a portion of the heart muscle is removed.
Purpose
Myocardial resection is done to improve the stability of the heart function or rhythm. Also known as endocardial resection, this open-heart surgery is done to destroy or remove damaged areas of the heart that cause life-threatening heart rhythms. This procedure is often performed in people who have had a heart attack, in order to prevent future rapid heart rates. It is also used in people who have Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (a condition resulting in abnormal heart rhythm).
After receiving a general anesthetic, an incision will be made in the chest to expose the heart. When the exact source of the abnormal rhythm is identified, it is removed. If there are areas around the source that may contribute to the problem, they can be frozen with a special probe to further insure against dangerous heart rates. The amount of tissue removed is so small, usually only 2 or 3 millimeters, that there is no damage to the structure of the heart. On some occasions, aneurysms of the heart wall are removed as well.
Other Information
They've become more prevalent since the heart surgery.
-Skip Rutherford
Find a Qualified Specialist
Looking for a specialist?
Please enter your zip code.
