[Partial left ventriculectomy. Past, present and future].

Abstract

Although discouraging clinical results and a lack of scientific evidence decreased the initial interest in partial left ventriculectomy (PLV), factors contributing to its success and failure have now been identified by clinical observation, theoretical analyses, and data from an international registry, which are herein reviewed to outline the current status and future role of this procedure as a treatment for heart failure. Based on the same concept, new and less-invasive approaches are now being developed to reduce the diameter of the left ventricle. While PLV has been practically abandoned, these experimental approaches appear promising because they can be applied for many more patients with better cardiac condition and preserved myocardial viability, factors associated with benefits of cardiac volume reduction.