Our Treatment Options

At the UPMC Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Center, our goal for treating this complex heart disease is to help improve symptoms and reduce the chances of complications.

There is no definitive cure for HCM, but most people are able to live long, healthy lives under the care of their doctors.

Medical Options

HCM symptoms can be treated medically, and sometimes through surgery.

Common medications include:

  • Anti-arrhythmics
  • Beta-blockers
  • Calcium channel blockers
  • Diuretics

Beyond medical treatment, it's important to follow a healthy lifestyle. Mild to moderate (but not strenuous) exercise, such as walking or biking, is recommended.

Surgical Options

If the obstruction of outflow of blood from the left ventricle to the body is extremely severe, the thickened heart muscle can be “trimmed” using one of two techniques:

  • Surgical myectomy — open-heart surgery performed to cut away the portion of the muscle that is thickened, relieving the obstruction to blood flow.
  • Alcohol septal ablation — a heart catheterization procedure used to introduce a catheter into one of the small arteries that brings blood to the abnormally thickened septum; alcohol is injected into the artery to reduce the size of the muscle.

Complications of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

  • Heart rhythm disorders, such as atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia
  • Heart failure
  • Sudden cardiac death

Request an appointment today.

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Contact the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Center

To refer a patient for a comprehensive evaluation:
1-877-HCM-UPMC
(1-877-426-8762) or
HCMCenter@upmc.edu

For appointment scheduling:
412-647-6000

Additional Resources

 

 

 

 

 

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