• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.672-674
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• 2002

A 40-years-old male with dilated cardiomyopathy(DCMP) and end-stage heart failure had undergone partial left ventriculectomy(PLV) in July 1997 and then underwent cardiac transplantation in January 1999. Three months later he showed increased ejection fraction (EF) from 26% to 42.6%, decreased left ventricular end diastolic diameter(LVEDD) from 71mm to 45mm, cardiac output(CO) 3.95 L/min and cardiac index(CI) 2.28 L/min/m$^2$echocardiographically. Eight months later, left ventriclular end diastolic and systolic diameters increased to 56 and 51 mm respectively and EF decreased to 17% in echocardiographic follow-up. He had been on maximum medication until he underwent cardiac transplantation 18 months after the PLV. Consecutive myocardial biopsies (1, 3 and 6 month later) showed ISHLT (international society of heart and lung transplantation) class la and the treatment for rejection was not needed until now on. We report a partial left ventriculectomy as a successful bridge to cardiac transplantation in a patient with DCMP and end-stage heart failure.