Surgery insight: surgical methods to reverse left ventricular remodeling

The management of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) is challenging and the mortality with medical therapy alone is high. Left ventricular dilatation represents one of the strongest predictors of mortality in CHF, and a variety of surgical interventions have been proposed over the years to reverse ventricular remodeling. The most common surgical methods currently used are myocardial revascularization, left ventricular restoration, mitral valve repair, surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation, and employment of diastolic support and ventricular assist devices. In many patients a combination of these procedures is required to address the multiple pathophysiologic components of CHF. As techniques are refined and more data become available, the results of surgical treatment of heart failure are likely to improve. In addition, advances in innovations such as gene therapy, cell therapy and engineered artificial myocardial tissue will hopefully bring additional benefits to this problematic therapy over the next few years. In this review we discuss the characteristics of the most common surgical techniques for reversing left ventricular remodeling.