[Partial left ventriculectomy for end stage dilated cardiomyopathy. Is it an alternative for heart transplantation?].

We present a case of a 60 year old male with end stage dilated cardiomyopathy in NYHA functional class IV in whom a partial left ventriculectomy was performed, a new surgical procedure developed in Brazil and done for the first time in Chile. Left ventricular size reduction produced an objective improvement on echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular function as well as in patient's NYHA functional class in the early post operative period.