… A 60-year-old homemaker had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a thickening of the walls of the heart. This condition is often undiagnosed and is a common cause of sudden heart attack in young people, including young athletes. Surgery was performed to thin the walls of her heart. During this sophisticated surgery, the surgeon, who had insufficient experience, unintentionally created a hole between the heart chambers. Although the hole was promptly repaired, the woman later died after three months of hospitalization.
