Risk of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy undergoing noncardiac surgery.

Objective: To determine the risk of noncardiac surgery in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of all patients who were diagnosed as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1998 to August 2006 and identified 24 patients who subsequently underwent noncardiac surgery.

Results: There were no intraoperative cardiac events. Postoperative cardiac events were identified in 3 patients including 1 death due to acute myocardial infarction and 2 episodes of transient hypotension.

Conclusions: The risk of anesthesia and noncardiac surgery is low in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. During the perioperative period, beta-blockers and/or calcium channel blockers should be given; vasodilator and inotropic agents should be avoided due to the side effects on hemodynamics.