Preserved skeletal muscle structure with modified electrical stimulation protocol in a cardiomyoplasty patient: a clinico-pathological report.

Experimental and clinical studies have recently shown variable degrees of structural abnormalities in the transposed and chronically stimulated muscle graft after cardiomyoplasty procedure. The postoperative stimulation protocol of wrapped skeletal muscle has been claimed to be a major determinant of late structural derangement. Therefore, a modified stimulation protocol had been used after a cardiomyoplasty procedure in a 63-year-old patient. Improved postoperative hemodynamic data could be detected by pressure/volume analysis. After unexpected sudden death occurred at 15 months, autoptic examination showed preserved muscle structure, suggesting that a prudent stimulation protocol may maintain muscle viability and contribute to effective cardiac support.