Batista Procedure with the Aid of Intraoperative Epicardial Echocardiography

INTRODUCTION: The number of cases for which the Batista procedure is indicated is small, but some patients with appropriate indication can achieve good therapeutic results. OBJECTIVE: To avoid incorrect left ventricular incision and obtain good surgical results in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy suitable for partial left ventriculectomy, we employed intraoperative direct echocardiography to determine the exact extent and position of the myocardial incision, even for surgeons who are not very experienced with the Batista procedure. METHODS: A 72-year-old man with dilated cardiomyopathy underwent the Batista procedure with the aid of epicardial echocardiography to confirm the location of both the papillary muscles and the diseased myocardium. RESULTS: We were able to accurately perform left ventricular incision and remove the diseased lateral ventricular wall. Two years later, the patient had no symptoms of heart failure, and his brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level decreased from 1155 to 49.3 pg/mL. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that the use of intraoperative echocardiography may have the potential to make the Batista procedure less technically demanding and more reproducible for surgeons with little experience in the procedure.