Left ventricular function before and following aortic valve replacement.
Twenty-four patients with aortic valve disease were studied before and 19+/-12 months following valve replacement with a well functioning prosthesis. Biplane left ventricular angiography and pressures were utilized to determine end-diastolic volume/m2 (EDV), end-systolic volume/m2 (ESV), ejection fraction (EF), left ventricular mass/m2 (LVM) and stroke work (SW). There were nine patients with aortic stenosis (AS), ten patients with combined stenosis and regurgitation (AS-AR), and five patients with aortic regurgitation (AR). Following surgery, patients with regurgitation preoperatively showed marked regression in EDV and ESV. All groups demonstrated regression in LVM. Fifteen patients with a normal EF preoperatively (65+/-11%) had no change after surgery; the nine patients with a low EF before surgery (38+/-8%) had a normal EF after surgery (60+/-16%). We conclude that left ventricular dilatation, hypertrophy, and reduced left ventricular pump function are largely reversible after successful aortic valve replacement.
D000792:Angiography; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005082:Physical Exertion; D013997:Time Factors