Myectomy and mitral repair through the left atrium in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: The preferred approach for contemporary surgical candidates?

The authors present results of surgery in 12 pts for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy extending to the papillary muscles.  Repair was performed through a detached anterior mitral leaflet, which was subsequently repaired.  The intraventricular end-diastolic gradient was decreased by 80% postop, and mitral regurgitation that was present preop was eliminated.  One patient died, the others were in NYHA class I or II postop.