The role of coronary revascularization in the management of heart failure: Identification of candidates and review of results

As a result of the increasing size of waiting lists and lengthening of waiting times for heart transplantation, coronary revascularization has emerged as an important therapeutic option in the management of patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. A critical challenge is the identification of candidates with regions of hibernating myocardium, because these patients stand to benefit the most from revascularization. In this review we summarize the recent literature examining the techniques used to identify myocardial hibernation. In addition, we evaluate the results of revascularization in this challenging group of patients.