β-blockers in postoperative myocardial diastolic dysfunction: not a panacea

Abstract

Successful treatment with heart rate lowering medication has been used to treat adults with chronic myocardial dysfunction of various aetiologies for a number of years. There has been recent evidence for the successful use of β-receptor blocking medication in highly selected group of infants with diastolic myocardial dysfunction. This case series demonstrates that while the use of β-receptor blockers in infants early following initial treatment of congenital left heart obstructive lesions appears promising and safe adjunct to more conventional management, the medium-term and long-term care of these patients remains as challenging as before.