Surgical treatment of chagasic cardiomyopathy

Abstract

In Latin America there are more than 6 million people infected with trypanosoma cruzi and about 400,000 immigrants are in Europe and the United States with this disease. Chagasic cardiomyopathy presents with SMVT in 30% of cases with preserved ejection fraction and ventricular aneurysm in 40-60%, which leads to a high risk of embolic events. Surgical treatment when certain conditions are met shows a safe and effective therapy in order to avoid complications in this group of patients.