[Left ventricular reduction surgery: pre- and postoperative evaluation by cine MRI].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the role of cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the preoperative assessment and postoperative follow-up of patients undergoing left ventricular (LV) reduction surgery.


METHODS
6 patients with cardiomegaly were examined on a 1.5 T MR imager before and after LV reduction surgery. The heart was imaged along the short and long axes using a breath-hold ECG-triggered cine gradient-echo sequence for assessing ventricular and valvular morphology and function and performing volumetry (end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes, ejection fraction).


RESULTS
Postoperatively, the mean ejection fraction increased from 21.7% to 33.4% and the end-diastolic and end-systolic left ventricular volumes decreased in all patients (304.0 and 252.5 ml before to 205.0 and 141.9 ml after surgery). Mean myocardial mass decreased slightly from 283.8 g to 242.7 g. Differences were significant for all parameters (p < 0.05). MRI allowed for the reliable assessment of post-operative valve morphology and yielded additional findings such as the presence of mitral valve insufficiency or ventricular thrombus.


CONCLUSIONS
Cine MRI provides relevant information prior to left ventricular reduction surgery and reliably depicts functional and morphological changes in the early post-operative follow-up.
Kivelitz
D E
DE
Institut für Radiologie, Humboldt-Universität, Berlin. dietmar.kivelitz@charite.de
Hotz
H
H
Borges
A C
AC
Enzweiler
C N
CN
Wiese
T H
TH
Lembcke
A
A
Konertz
W
W
Baumann
G
G
Hamm
B
B
D000368:Aged; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D013997:Time Factors