Quality of life after videoscopic left cardiac sympathetic denervation in patients with potentially life-threatening cardiac channelopathies/cardiomyopathies.

BACKGROUND: Left cardiac sympathetic denervation (LCSD) provides an additive or potentially alternative treatment option for patients with life-threatening cardiac channelopathies/cardiomyopathies.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine the effects of LCSD on quality of life (QOL).

METHODS: From November 2005 to May 2013, 109 patients who underwent LCSD were subsequently sent postoperative QOL surveys.

RESULTS: Of 109 patients, 8 (7%) could not be contacted. Of the remaining 101 patients, 62 returned surveys (response rate 61%). There were an average of 4.1 ± 1.8 self-reported side effects immediately after LCSD. The most common anticipated side effects included unilateral hand dryness, color or temperature variance between sides of the face, and abnormal sweating. Although parent-reported pediatric physical QOL scores were lower than national norms, there were no differences in psychosocial QOL or disability scores (P = .09 and .33, respectively). QOL scores for adult patients were not significantly different from a US normative sample. Adult LCSD patients reported less disability than a US normative sample (P < .01). There was no correlation between QOL scores and the presence of anticipated side effects. However, among the subset of pediatric patients who continued to receive ventricular fibrillation-terminating implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks after LCSD, there was a correlation between their disability scores and the number of reported shocks (Spearman correlation = 0.56). The majority of patients/parents reported that they were very or somewhat satisfied with their surgery (or their child's surgery) and would definitely or probably recommend LCSD to another patient.

CONCLUSION: Despite the anticipated side effects associated with LCSD, patients are satisfied with their surgery and indicate that they would recommend the surgery to another patient.