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Finding Hope for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Living with a chronic disease like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can be frustrating. But with the supportive care of leading cardiology experts, you’ll be empowered to continue living the life you love.

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Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Overview

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common disorder of cardiac muscle. Patients with HCM may experience symptoms of shortness of breath, chest pressure, palpitations, lightheadedness and fainting. 

HCM is a genetic condition.  Early treatment and diagnosis is critical in order to best manage symptoms, especially in patients at high risk for serious cardiovascular complications. As the only HCM Center of Excellence in Central Florida, our physicians have experience treating the different clinical profiles of this condition, which may include congestive heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in a small subset of patients. 

For more information or to speak with a nurse navigator, please call 407-303-1648.

Comprehensive Care for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy Risk Factors

Risk factors of Congestive Heart Failure 

  • Obstruction
  • Mitral insufficiency
  • Diastolic Dysfunction
  • End stage burn out

Risk Factors of Sudden Cardiac Death

  • Family history
  • Thick ventricle >3cm
  • Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia
  • History of syncope
Diagnosing and Treating Cardiomyopathy

Diagnosis

Tests may include: 

  • An echocardiogram
  • An electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Cardiac MRI
  • Genetic testing
  • Stress echocardiogram
  • Electrophysiology testing with and/or without ablation

Treatment Options

Ablation Procedure

  • Removes extra heart tissue to reduce thickening
  • Helps heart perform better

Heart transplant (for a severely damaged heart)

Lifestyle changes

  • Stopping alcohol use
  • Monitoring salt intake

Medicines

  • Lower blood pressure
  • Help your heart pump
  • Reduce excess fluid

Surgically implanted device that helps maintain proper heart rhythm

Surgical Options for Cardiomyopathy

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 surgical techniques:

  • 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.
  • Surgical myectomy — Open-heart surgery performed to cut away the portion of the muscle that is thickened, relieving the obstruction to blood flow. 

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Team

Marcos Hazday, MD, FACC
Director of HCM Center of Excellence
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Naveen Bellam, MD, MPH
Co-Director of HCM Center of Excellence, Transplant Cardiologist
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Dr. Kevin Accola, MD
Cardiothoracic Surgeon
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Jorge A. Garcia, MD, FACC, FASE
Pediatric Cardiologist
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Dr. Patricia Guerrero, MD
Electrophysiologist
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Dr. George Monir, MD
Electrophysiologist
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Scott J Pollak, MD
Electrophysiologist
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Dr. Rajesh Shah, MD
Interventional Cardiologist
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Meet the Team
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An Expert Collaboration

Your whole health is our priority. The best way to support you in body, mind and spirit is to work together across our areas of expertise and take a highly coordinated approach. With our comprehensive program you will have access to the following teams:

  • Arrhythmia Specialists
  • Cardiovascular Surgery
  • Geneticist
  • Imaging Specialists
  • Invasive Cardiology
  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Transplant

Together we can provide the effective treatment you need and the compassionate care you deserve. 

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Expert Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Care

AdventHealth Orlando has been identified as an HCM Center of Excellence for our commitment to providing expert treatment to patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. We are the only center of excellence in Central Florida and are here to help patients feel strong, feel connected and feel whole through our quality of care. 

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Support With Every Beat

A strong community encourages a strong heart. From connecting you with others through our cardiac support groups to helping you navigate our financial assistance tools, we’re here to give you the guidance you need to feel whole.

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Our Locations. Your Options.

As integral pieces of the largest heart, lung and vascular institute in Florida, every one of our Central Florida locations contributes to the strength of the AdventHealth Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute network. Explore your options with the guidance of our dedicated team. We’ll help you find the right fit, so you’re in the best setting to get the care you need.

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