The UCLA Division of Cardiology and Ahmanson UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center have assembled a specialized team dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an excessive thickening of the heart muscle that impairs filling and emptying of the heart.
While some patients are asymptomatic, others may experience chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, palpitations, light-headedness, dizziness and blackouts. Complications can include arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia), endocarditis (infection of the heart) or sudden death.
Diagnostic capabilities
Although symptoms, including murmur or an abnormal electrocardiogram, may indicate hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a definitive diagnosis is made via echocardiogram or other imaging studies. First-degree relatives of those who have the condition should also be screened.
Treatment options
Medications including beta-blockers, calcium antagonists and disopyramide can reduce symptoms. For cases in which symptoms persist despite medications and for patients with appropriate indications, UCLA offers the latest surgical interventions, minimally invasive procedures and electrophysiologic treatments to ease symptoms and reduce the risk of disability or death.
- Myectomy is an open-heart surgery performed to remove the buildup of muscle along the exterior of the septum, a portion of the heart that separates the left and right ventricles.
- In patients who are poor candidates for surgery, alcohol septal ablation is a safe and effective alternative. The minimally invasive procedure involves infusing a small amount of pure alcohol into the artery that supplies the upper septum, destroying excess tissue. Patients typically return home after three days with minimal risk of significant complications. About 5 percent of patients will require a permanent pacemaker following this procedure.
- The best way to prevent sudden death is to screen and identify high-risk patients and implant a defibrillator (ICD), a small device under the skin in the chest that continually monitors the heart’s electrical impulses and delivers an electric charge when needed to jolt the heart back to a normal pattern of impulses. Some patients may be advised not to participate in competitive sports or other strenuous physical effort.
UCLA Division of Cardiology and Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center
UCLA’s heart and heart surgery programs rank among the nation’s best in the latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report. The UCLA Division of Cardiology and Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiology Center offer comprehensive care for patients with the full range of heart disorders. The treatment team includes clinical cardiologists, echocardiographers, electrophysiologists, heart failure and heart transplant specialists, cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists, and pediatric cardiologists.
Physicians
Jamil Aboulhosn, M.D.
Echocardiographer
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
David Cesario, M.D., Ph.D.
Electrophysiologist
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
John S. Child, M.D.
Director, Ahmanson-UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center
Streisand-American Heart Association Professor of Medicine & Cardiology
Gregg C. Fonarow, M.D.
Heart failure and cardiomyopathy specialist
Director, Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center
Co-director, UCLA Preventative Cardiology Program
Eliot Corday Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Science
Michele Hamilton, M.D.
Heart failure and cardiomyopathy specialist
Co-director Clinical Heart Failure
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Jon Kobashigawa, M.D.
Heart failure specialist
Medical Director, UCLA Heart Transplant Program
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Hillel Laks, M.D.
Surgeon Professor of Surgery
Michael S. Lee, M.D.
Interventional cardiologist
Associate Director, Interventional Cardiology Research Assistant
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Jaime Moriguchi, M.D.
Heart failure and cardiomyopathy specialist
Co-director Clinical Heart Failure
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Richard J. Shemin, M.D.
Surgeon
Vice Chair of Surgery
Chief, Cardiac Surgery and Thoracic Surgery
Professor of Surgery
Kalyanam Shivkumar, M.D., Ph.D.
Electrophysiologist
Associate Chief of Cardiology
Associate Professor Medicine & Radiological Sciences
Jonathan M. Tobis, M.D.
Interventional cardiologist
Director, Interventional Cardiology Research
Professor of Medicine
Patient referral
Physicians may refer patients for diagnosis or treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by contacting the UCLA Physician Referral Service at 800-825-2631 or the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomopathy Center at 310-825-8816.
For more information about the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center and UCLA Division of Cardiology, please visit our website at http://www.cardiology.med.ucla.edu/.
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