Prevalence of left ventricular diastolic filling abnormalities in adult cardiac surgical patients: an intraoperative echocardiographic study.

The incidence of left ventricular (LV) diastolic abnormalities in adult cardiac surgical patients has not previously been adequately investigated. The present study was performed to characterize LV diastolic filling patterns by performing transesophageal Doppler echocardiographic (TEE) studies in patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures and thus indirectly assess diastolic function in these patients. Doppler TEE studies were performed and transmitral flow (TMF) and pulmonary venous flow (PVF) velocities were recorded in 104 patients intraoperatively.