Left ventricular mechanics following restrictive mitral annuloplasty for functional mitral regurgitation: two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiographic study.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Restrictive mitral annuloplasty (RMA) is widely employed for patients with functional mitral regurgitation (MR). Its improvement of left ventricular (LV) function has been demonstrated by only a gradual increase in LV ejection fraction (EF) in the chronic phase. However, the detailed evaluation of changes in LV function has not been fully elucidated in functional MR patients before and after RMA. Therefore, we performed two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE), which enables accurate evaluation of myocardial deformation and rotation that are undetectable by conventional echocardiography.

METHODS:

We studied 13 patients (mean age 61 ± 10 years) with functional MR associated with cardiomyopathy undergoing RMA. In addition to conventional echocardiographic measurements, 2D-STE was performed to measure peak systolic radial (RS), circumferential (CS), and longitudinal (LS) strains and twist before and 4 ± 2 weeks after surgery. LV twist was defined as the difference between the apical and basal rotations.

RESULTS:

After RMA, EF and LS remained unchanged, but RS and CS were significantly improved at the mid-LV (RS, 20.6 ± 10.8 vs 24.5 ± 11.6%; CS, -9.6 ± 5.2 vs -12.8 ± 5.6%) and at the apex (RS, 15.0 ± 12.2 vs 18.7 ± 8.6%; CS, -4.4 ± 3.0 vs -7.8 ± 4.8%). RS and CS were unchanged at the base. The apical and basal rotations changed significantly, from 3.5°± 0.7° to 9.2°± 2.1°, and -2.1°± 0.7° to -3.8°± 1.0°, respectively. Consequently, the LV twist increased significantly, from 5.6°± 1.0° to 13.0°± 1.9°.

CONCLUSIONS:

Radial and circumferential strains and LV twist increased significantly in the early postoperative period in functional MR patients after RMA and concomitant procedures.

• Authors: Yasuhiro Shudo, Satoshi Nakatani, Taichi Sakaguchi, Shigeru Miyagawa, Yasushi Yoshikawa, Koji Takeda, Shunsuke Saito, Yasuharu Takeda, Yasushi Sakata, Kazuhiro Yamamoto, Yoshiki Sawa
• Journal: Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) (Echocardiography) Vol. 29 Issue 4 Pg. 445-50 (Apr 2012) ISSN: 1540-8175 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22486374 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2012, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Topics

• Echocardiography (methods)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Mitral Valve Annuloplasty
• Mitral Valve Insufficiency (complications, diagnostic imaging, surgery)
• Reproducibility of Results
• Sensitivity and Specificity
• Treatment Outcome
• Ventricular Dysfunction, Left (diagnostic imaging, etiology, prevention & control)