Surgical Management of Heart Failure

Volume 2, Jan 2013

Kewal Krishan, MD, Rajneesh Malhotra, MD, New Delhi, India

Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome that can result from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the ventricle to fill with or eject blood. The cardinal manifestations of HF are dyspnea and fatigue, which may limit exercise tolerance, and fluid retention. Despite widespread use of evidence-based therapies the morbidity and mortality of heart failure are still high. It remains the most common hospital discharge diagnosis for patients older than 65 years (1). There are several reasons that may explain why the prevalence of heart failure is increasing: aging of the population, the success in prolonging survival in coronary patients, and the success in postponing coronary events by effective prevention in those patients at high risk or patients who have already survived a first event (secondary prevention). At present time, cardiac transplantation remains the gold standard of cardiac replacement therapy. However, the supply of donor hearts is limited and therefore is not an option for many patients because of age and other comorbid conditions.

Volume 2, Number 1, Pages: 17-28