Impact of bridging with left ventricular assist device on right ventricular function following heart transplantation.

Aims: Patients awaiting orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) can be bridged utilizing a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) that reduces left ventricular filling pressures, decreases pulmonary artery wedge pressure, and maintains adequate cardiac output. This study set out to examine the poorly investigated area of if and how pre-treatment with LVAD impacts right ventricular (RV) function following OHT.

Methods And Results: We prospectively evaluated 59 (LVAD n = 20) consecutive OHT patients.

Right ventricular stroke work index by echocardiography in adult patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Background: In adult patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), right ventricular (RV) failure may worsen rapidly, resulting in a poor prognosis. In this population, non-invasive assessment of RV function is challenging. RV stroke work index (RVSWI) measured by right heart catheterization (RHC) represents a promising index for RV function.

Echocardiographic assessment of chamber size and ventricular function during the first year after heart transplantation.

Aims: Detecting changes in ventricular function after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is important but interpretation of findings is complicated by lack of data on early graft adaptation. We sought to evaluate echocardiographic measures of ventricular size and function the first year following OHT including speckle tracking derived strain. We also aimed to compare echocardiographic findings to haemodynamic parameters obtained by right heart catheterization (RHC).

Right ventricular function parameters in pulmonary hypertension: echocardiography vs. cardiac magnetic resonance.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) function is a major determinant of outcome in patients with pulmonary hypertension. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is gold standard to assess RV ejection fraction (RVEF), however this is a crude measure. New CMR measures of RV function beyond RVEF have emerged, such as RV lateral atrio-ventricular plane displacement (AVPD), maximum emptying velocity (S'), RV fractional area change (FAC) and feature tracking of the RV free wall (FWS).

Impact of gender on echocardiographic characteristics in heart transplant recipients.

Aims: Assessment following heart transplantation (HTx) is routinely performed using transthoracic echocardiography. Differences in long-term mortality following HTx related to donor-recipient matching have been reported, but effects of gender on cardiac size and function are not well studied. The aims of this study were to evaluate differences in echocardiographic characteristics of HTx recipients defined by gender.

Normal Reference Ranges for Transthoracic Echocardiography Following Heart Transplantation.

Background: Heart function following heart transplantation (HTx) is influenced by numerous factors. It is typically evaluated using transthoracic echocardiography, but reference values are currently unavailable for this context. The primary aim of the present study was to derive echocardiographic reference values for chamber size and function, including cardiac mechanics, in clinically stable HTx patients.

Right ventricular speckle tracking assessment for differentiation of pressure- versus volume-overloaded right ventricle.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction may be caused by either pressure or volume overload. RV function is conventionally assessed with echocardiography using tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), RV fractional area change (RVFAC), tricuspid lateral annular systolic velocity (S') and RV index of myocardial performance (RIMP). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether RV global longitudinal strain (RVGLS) and RV-free wall strain (RV-free) could add additional information to differentiate these two causes of RV overload.