You've come to the right place
At the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Center and Research Institute at Tufts Medical Center, we create relationships with you to deliver the best care for patients with HCM, a condition in which the heart muscle thickens, sometimes blocking blood flow out of the heart. Our team understands that a new diagnosis can be intimidating, and we take the time to walk you through the most up-to-date information, explain treatment options and provide resources to support decision-making.
Thanks to medical advances, HCM is no longer considered a fatal disease. If you receive a HCM diagnosis you can have a normal lifespan and have less of a risk than other cardiac diseases like congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction and virtually any cancer. With the proper treatment you can a live long and successful life.
We are a Center of Excellence and referral and treatment center for HCM, offering the complete spectrum of advanced diagnostic methods and options for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy treatment. Our goal is to provide you and your family the opportunity to achieve an excellent quality of life. Our physicians are committed to clearly communicating care and empowering you to make the best treatment decisions possible.
Surgery for HCM
Not everyone diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy will require surgery. In fact, only a small number of people undergo a type of surgery called a septal myectomy, commonly known as open heart surgery. Open heart surgery is the preferred method of treatment for those with severe symptoms who are unresponsive to medications. If you are considering surgical myectomy and/or your cardiologist has mentioned it to you for consideration, schedule an appointment with any of our HCM experts to learn more.
Septal Ablation for HCM
Another option for those who have ongoing symptoms despite medical therapy, is alcohol septal ablation. Our team, including Dr. Carey Kimmelstiel, who is the Director of Interventional Cardiology, have performed septal ablation surgery for nearly two decades. Dr. Kimmelstiel, who was the first physician to perform alcohol septal ablation surgery in Boston and is a pioneer in the field, has published extensively on septal ablation. He is routinely invited to major national meetings to lecture about the procedure.
Do I need an Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator?
A minority of patients are at risk of a dangerous heart rhythm abnormality which can lead to sudden cardiac death. During your initial evaluation and follow-up evaluations, our HCM team will assess your risk using the current national guideline recommendations. If an implantable cardiac device is necessary, you will meet our with highly experienced HCM team, including cardiac electrophysiologist Dr. Christopher Madias.
