Exercise stress echocardiographic assessment of outflow tract and ventricular function in patients with an obstructed right ventricular-to-pulmonary artery conduit after repair of conotruncal heart defects.

This study assessed right ventricular (RV) and RV outflow tract (RVOT) function and pressure in response to exercise in patients with an obstructed RV-pulmonary artery (PA) conduit using exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) to evaluate these parameters. RV-PA conduits inevitably develop stenosis and/or regurgitation over time. Assessment of conduit obstruction only at rest may not reveal the extent of physiologic perturbation related to RV pressure loading.