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Ann Thorac Surg 1997;64:408-409
© 1997 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

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Invited Commentary

Invited Commentary

Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Liverpool, The New Medical School, Ashton Street, Liverpool L69 3GE, United Kingdom

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

See also page 404.

A surgical approach to cardiac assistance based on redeployment of the patient's own skeletal muscle is an attractive prospect. It offers a biological solution to heart failure that is free from the risks, debilitating side-effects, and costs associated with long-term immunosuppression; it is not limited by donor availability; and it allows the patient's own heart and all the associated neuroregulatory circuits to be retained intact. The costs are mainly those associated with the surgical procedure itself, including the implantable stimulator used to activate the grafted muscle. One route to the implementation of skeletal muscle assist is cardiomyoplasty, and this has provided the main clinical experience to date. Commercial pressures, and the need to conform to fixed protocols for . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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