title: Effect of increased severity of mitral regurgitation and preprocedural right ventricular systolic dysfunction on biventricular and left atrial mechanical functions following percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Severe mitral stenosis (MS) may impair left atrial (LA) pump function, and increase LA and pulmonary venous pressure resulting in right ventricular (RV) systolic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to evaluate biventricular and LA function after percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty (PMBV) by tissue Doppler (TDI) and speckle tracking echocardiography (STE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight consecutive patients with severe symptomatic rheumatic MS (11 men, mean age: 39 ± 7 years) who were referred for PMBV were included in the study. In addition to conventional echocardiography, all patients underwent TDI and two-dimensional (2D) (STE) to assess left ventricular (LV), LA, and RV function before and 3 months after PMBV. Severity of mitral regurgitation (MR) was graded by the ratio of MR jet area to LA area (JA/LAA) method and any postprocedural progression of the JA/LAA ratio was defined as worsening of MR. Peak systolic velocity of tricuspid lateral annulus (RVs) <11.5 cm/sec was accepted as RV dysfunction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Left atrial diameter and area were decreased, while LV dimensions were unchanged following the valvuloplasty. PMBV improved STE-based LV mechanical indices, LA reservoir and conduit function, and RV free wall basal longitudinal strain (LS) and displacement. Increased severity of MR was detected in 6 patients, and PMBV did not improve the STE-based RV or LV function in these patients, while LA reservoir and conduit function were both improved independent of MR worsening. There was significant improvement in RVs and RV basal LS in the 15 patients with preprocedural RV systolic dysfunction, while the improvement in patients with normal preprocedural RV function was not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty may improve both LA and biventricular function in patients with severe symptomatic MS. Both TDI and STE are useful to determine biventricular and LA function after PMBV. Although the number of patients was insufficient, worsening of MR after PMBV may limit the improvement in RV and LV function, while preprocedural RV dysfunction does not seem to limit the improvement in RV function and pulmonary artery systolic pressure. Large scale follow-up studies are required to see whether the changes observed in cardiac mechanics are persistent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kursat
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tigen
authors.forename: Selcuk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pala
authors.forename: Beste Ozben
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Sadic
authors.forename: Tansu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karaahmet
authors.forename: Cihan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dundar
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bulut
authors.forename: Akin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Izgi
authors.forename: Ali Metin
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Esen
authors.forename: Cevat
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kirma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016275:Atrial Function / Q000502:physiology; D063126:Balloon Valvuloplasty / Q000379:methods*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016276:Ventricular Function / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: mitral balloon valvuloplasty; mitral stenosis; speckle tracking echocardiography; tissue Doppler imaging